I recently had the honor of interviewing bodybuilder L.A. Aguayo over Zoom. He is 34 years old, has severe hemophilia B, and recently took second place in an international bodybuilding competition, the Arnold Amateur. I highly recommend his inspirational autobiography, “Finding Purpose in the Pain.” In his book,…

Bone mineral density — the amount of minerals in bone tissue — is markedly lower in children with moderate and severe hemophilia than their healthy peers as a result of recurrent bleeding episodes that damage their joints, according to a small, single-center study in India. Preventive, or prophylactic, treatment was…

I’m looking forward to attending the Hemophilia Federation of America’s annual symposium, running today through Saturday. I’ll be among the community I consider family. But it’s been a few years since I attended a large conference. I’m excited about reconnecting with old friends, but I’m also a bit…

Managing money is an essential skill every couple must learn. From the moment they decide to live together, and especially after they decide to walk down the aisle, the health of their finances will always be a huge determinant of their happiness. This is true even if one (or…

Boys with severe hemophilia A who switched to Kovaltry (octocog alfa), which replaces a missing clotting protein called factor VIII (FVIII), retained the therapy for longer in the body and had fewer bleeds, a study in China reported. Findings come from a head-to-head comparison of Kovaltry and three…

Serious bleeds are often a fatal complication in people with hemophilia if not managed early, a 10-year study from Senegal shows. These findings highlight the need for prompt diagnosis of severe bleeding and early administration of replacement therapy to lower the risk of mortality. In resource-limited countries, increasing patients’ and…

Two treatment options for hemophilia A are now available to patients in Canada: Esperoct (turoctocog alfa pegol) and Zonovate (turoctocog alfa), marketed by Novo Nordisk. The therapies have been accessible through Canadian Blood Services since April 1. “As part of our continued commitment to provide support to Canadians…

Elevated levels of the immune signaling protein BAFF were found in the bloodstream of boys who developed neutralizing antibodies against FVIII replacement therapy, a standard treatment in hemophilia A, a study reported for the first time. Changes in the gene that encodes the BAFF protein, involved in the growth…

Hemophilia patients with a low number of red blood cells and reduced coagulation factor levels — the activity level of proteins essential for blood clotting — are at a higher risk of increased blood loss during a knee replacement surgery, a study reported. The study, “Risk…

Treatment with the experimental gene therapy Roctavian (valoctocogene roxaparvovec) significantly increased factor VIII levels in men with severe hemophilia A treated in the Phase 3 GENEr8-1 trial and with reasonable safety, findings at one and two years post-treatment show. While declines in these levels were evident over time,…