GenScript ProBio and Neoletix Biotechnology have entered into an agreement for clinical and commercial production of a lab-made version of coagulation factor VIII, a product that the companies hope will make the preventive treatment for hemophilia A more accessible to patients in China. Coagulation factor VIII, or FVIII,…

Optimization of investigational hemophilia B gene therapy led to more than 25 times the production of factor IX (FIX), the blood-clotting protein that is missing in people with the condition, a study has found.  According to researchers, these findings support the…

This summer brings a tinge of melancholy as the Sangre de Oro Chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation has announced that its usual weeklong summer camp will not meet in person. While I understand the reason for avoiding unnecessary health risks, I still feel sad for the regular…

The investigational gene therapy Roctavian continues to effectively and safely prevent bleeding episodes and the need for clotting factor VIII replacement therapy in adults with severe hemophilia A, five-year data from a Phase 1/2 study show. BioMarin Pharmaceutical, the therapy’s developer, plans to share the data in…

Recently, I preached a sermon that focused on advocacy. The basis of the message came from the Gospel of Mark 6:53-56. In the Scripture passage, people carried their friends and loved ones on mats to Jesus’ feet so that those who suffered from illnesses could touch his garment and…

My 15-year-old son, Caeleb, is looking for a summer job. We live in a small town, so his choices are limited, and many jobs require applicants to be at least 16. Part of me hopes he waits until next summer to find a job, but he is actively looking. The…

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted BioMarin Pharmaceutical’s request for accelerated assessment of Roctavian, the company’s investigational gene therapy for severe hemophilia A, for a second time. Last year, BioMarin’s regulatory applications for Roctavian (valoctocogene roxaparvovec) got rejected both in Europe and in the…

Lately, my husband, Jared, and I have been working on home improvement goals. Since the pandemic lockdowns began, couples all over the Philippines have been boasting of their improved homes. With many employees now working from home, several people have both the time and the initiative to renovate and…

The first participant has been dosed in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating marzeptacog alfa activated (MarzAA) to treat bleeding episodes in patients with factor VII (FVII) deficiency, Glanzmann thrombasthenia, and hemophilia A with inhibitors receiving treatment with…

I learned how to be a caregiver from my mother. Ruby Jane loved my children with complete devotion. While I made her a grandmother, she made me the man I am today. I observed her care for not only family but humanity. She spent years serving as the…