Implanting bioscaffolds — 3D biological scaffolds made up of collagen and other molecules — carrying transformed liver cells into rats successfully triggered the production of factor VIII (FVIII), the clotting protein missing in people with hemophilia A. According to researchers, these bioscaffolds may be a therapeutic alternative to FVIII…

“L’hitraot” is a word I learned while living in Israel. It is a gentle way to say goodbye, essentially meaning “see you later.” I am transitioning to a new job at a nonprofit organization, and this will be my last column here at Hemophilia News Today. It has been an…

The first documented case of a previously untreated hemophilia B patient developing inhibitors against the extended half-life therapy Alprolix was described in a report from Canada. The report also shows how combining routine administration of Alprolix with medications that suppress the immune system can be used to stop…

I sit waiting for my youngest son to complete an MRI of his right ankle. He has been overwhelmed with pain from constant breakthrough bleeding episodes. For a while, recombinant factor VIII was working to treat his hemophilia and we were euphoric, but we soon learned that internal…

I use a handicapped placard for my youngest son, Caeleb, who has hemophilia and deals with complications from the clotting factor used to treat his illness, which causes him to have pain. Caeleb, 15, participates in his school’s marching band and practices after school four days a week. At the end…

Eptacog beta was safe and 100% effective at preventing bleeds during and after minor surgeries in hemophilia A patients with inhibitors, according to data from a Phase 3 trial. The treatment’s efficacy at managing bleeds dropped with major surgeries, with post-operative success seen in 66.7% of evaluated cases. Overall, these…

In June, my firstborn son, affectionally nicknamed MacDonald the Older, will turn 26 years old. Conversations include career plans after his major milestone. He hopes to sing on Broadway and continues to get better with age. A vocalist myself, I hear his progress and believe he has an excellent…

The World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) is commemorating having successfully distributed, since 1996, over one billion international units (IUs) of factor and non-factor replacement therapies for people with inherited bleeding disorders, such as hemophilia, through its Humanitarian Aid Program. Donations from the program have improved the quality…

Hospitalizations are disruptive. When someone has to go the hospital, day-to-day routines take a back seat. Being at the hospital becomes the top priority and life must move around the illness. But when a patient and family experience constant hospitalizations, this becomes their normal routine. My youngest son, Caeleb,…

Recently, my husband, Jared, and I decided to move into a new home. We’d been contemplating the idea since our daughter, Cittie, was born almost three years ago. Yet somehow, financial constraints always held us back. We wanted to be full-time parents to Cittie, at least during her formative…