Loma Linda University Health (LLUH) is now offering the gene therapies Hemgenix (etranacogene dezaparvovec) to people with hemophilia B and SPK-8011 (dirloctocogene samoparvovec), an experimental treatment for hemophilia A. LLUH’s Center of Excellence Hemophilia Program is structured to ensure that financial constraints don’t prevent access to the therapy,…

Note: This article was updated June 26, 2024, to clarify that the analysis of fitusiran in surgery was conducted in patients receiving prophylactic treatment with the therapy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reviewing a request to approve fitusiran, an under-the-skin injection therapy, as a treatment for adults…

Efanesoctocog alfa, a long-lasting factor VIII (FVIII) replacement therapy, has now been approved in the European Union for hemophilia A. It will be marketed under the brand name Altuvoct. Altuvoct can be used as an on-demand treatment for bleeding episodes, a once-weekly prophylactic (preventive) therapy to reduce the…

My husband pastors the local First United Methodist Church, where I serve as a deacon. When a parent (or two) goes down the pastoral path, their children are along for the ride. Some preachers’ kids love church, and others, not so much. My youngest son, Caeleb, falls…

A generic version of DDAVP (desmopressin acetate), a therapy approved to control bleeding episodes in people with mild hemophilia A, is available in the U.S. Avenacy planned to begin shipping the therapy the week of April 15, according to a company press release. The generic is available…

Nearly all medical directors at hemophilia treatment centers in the U.S. said they would consider starting preventive Hemlibra (emicizumab-KXWH) in untreated infants with hemophilia A, ages 12 months and younger, a survey study reports. Most respondents also said they’d transition from FVIII replacement therapies, used on-demand to treat…

Hemlibra (emicizumab-KXWH) safely controlled bleeds among hemophilia A patients without inhibitors over nearly five years of preventive treatment, according to long-term data pooled from two Phase 3 clinical trials. “Five years of follow-up data showed a favorable benefit-risk profile of [Hemlibra] prophylaxis,” the researchers wrote in “…

Sarcopenia, or loss of muscle mass and strength, may occur in as many as half of adults with severe hemophilia A who experience recurrent joint bleeds, according to a small study in Turkey. In addition, measuring muscle mass in the thighs with ultrasound, which is a noninvasive imaging test…

Individually tailored prophylaxis, or preventive treatment, with Jivi (damoctocog alfa pegol) nearly halved the number of annual bleeding episodes in people with severe hemophilia A who had previously been on another replacement therapy, according to a Phase 4 post-marketing study. Researchers also observed that none of the patients…