A recent clinical trial indicates that replacement therapy with plasma-derived factor VIII is associated with lower incidence for development of inhibitors in patients with severe hemophilia A. The study,“A Randomized Trial of Factor VIII and Neutralizing Antibodies in Hemophilia A,” was published in The New England Journal of…

Shire has acquired worldwide rights to the antibody-based therapy that Novimmune developed as a treatment for hemophilia A. Geneva-based Novimmune creates therapies for inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases and cancer. It uses antibodies that target tumor-associated proteins and the immune checkpoint protein CD47. Shire, which is based in Dublin, is a global…

A single infusion of the experimental gene therapy GS001 safely increased the levels of factor VIII (FVIII) — the missing clotting protein in hemophilia A  — for almost three years, effectively reducing bleeds and the need for replacement therapies at doses much lower than those used in currently approved…

Me: “Hello?” Medical assistant: “Hi, Shellye, the doctor wants to see you ASAP to discuss your recent test results. She’s concerned.” Me: “Oh no, that doesn’t sound good. Can you tell me what’s going on?” Medical assistant: “We just got your baseline bone density tests back and they show you…

Scientists have developed advanced liver organoids — lab-grown “mini-organs” that mimic the function of organs in the body — that are capable of growing their own functional blood vessels and producing clotting factors that could eventually be used to treat hemophilia, according to a study. In a mouse model…

As a long-term preventive treatment, fitusiran leads to sustained reductions in bleed frequency in people with moderate-to-severe hemophilia A or B regardless of inhibitor status, early results from an extension study show. The findings were presented at the recent World Federation of Hemophilia Virtual Summit and…

People with hemophilia A who start on preventive treatment in the first years of life generally report better health-related quality of life and joint health, a study reports. “Our results indicate that delayed start of prophylaxis in an older cohort with severe [hemophilia A] can still achieve excellent bleeding…

Note: This story was updated Feb. 24, 2023, to correct the secondary headline since there are several other recombinant factor VIII therapies available.  Altuviiio is a first-in-class therapy, but not the first. Efanesoctocog alfa, Sobi and Sanofi’s first-in-class, long-lasting recombinant or man-made factor…

Chinese researchers identified a new and simple method to identify women who may be carriers of the gene that causes hemophilia A.

Scientists found the immune signaling protein BAFF can promote the formation of neutralizing antibodies, or inhibitors, against blood clotting factor VIII (FVIII), which can lower the effectiveness of FVIII replacement therapies used to treat people with hemophilia A.  They also discovered that hemophilia A…