Hemophilia A is a rare, lifelong condition in which a person’s blood does not clot properly due to a missing or defective factor VIII clotting protein. While hemophilia mainly impacts men, it can also affect females.

People living with hemophilia A can experience bleeding episodes during everyday activities, which can cause chronic pain and irreversible joint damage, and may impact their quality of life.

The severity of hemophilia is determined by “factor activity levels,” or the amount of clotting factor in the blood. People with lower factor activity levels have a greater risk of bleeds, while those with higher factor activity levels have better protection.

Recently, the FDA approved ALTUVIIIO [antihemophilic factor (recombinant), Fc-VWF-XTEN fusion protein-ehtl], a new class of factor VIII replacement therapy for people with hemophilia A that delivers normal to near-normal factor activity levels (over 40%) for most of the week. As the first and only high-sustained factor VIII replacement therapy, it provides significant bleed protection with one weekly dose. The approval of this innovative treatment can empower patients and physicians to elevate treatment expectations.

Dr. Johnathan Roberts, Associate Medical Director from The Bleeding & Clotting Disorders Institute in Illinois and hemophilia A patient, to discuss the importance of maintaining factor activity levels and this new treatment for hemophilia A.

Interview is courtesy of Sanofi.

INDICATION
ALTUVIIIO [antihemophilic factor (recombinant), Fc-VWF-XTEN fusion protein-ehtl] is an injectable medicine that is used to control and reduce the number of bleeding episodes in people with hemophilia A (congenital Factor VIII deficiency).

Your healthcare provider may give you ALTUVIIIO when you have surgery.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What is the most important information I need to know about ALTUVIIIO?
Do not attempt to give yourself an injection unless you have been taught how by your healthcare provider or hemophilia center. You must carefully follow your healthcare provider’s instructions regarding the dose and schedule for injecting ALTUVIIIO so that your treatment will work best for you.

Who should not use ALTUVIIIO?
You should not use ALTUVIIIO if you have had an allergic reaction to it in the past.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before using ALTUVIIIO?
Tell your healthcare provider if you have had any medical problems, take any medications, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, supplements, or herbal medicines, are breastfeeding, or are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

What are the possible side effects of ALTUVIIIO?
You can have an allergic reaction to ALTUVIIIO. Call your healthcare provider or emergency department right away if you have any of the following symptoms: difficulty breathing, chest tightness, swelling of the face, rash, or hives.

Your body can also make antibodies called “inhibitors” against ALTUVIIIO. This can stop ALTUVIIIO from working properly. Your healthcare provider may give you blood tests to check for inhibitors.

The common side effects of ALTUVIIIO are headache, joint pain, and back pain.

These are not the only possible side effects of ALTUVIIIO. Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or does not go away.

Please see full Prescribing Information.

Interview is courtesy of Sanofi

The post ADVANCING CARE FOR PEOPLE WITH HEMOPHILIA April 17, 2023 is World Hemophilia Day appeared first on Good News!.

STORIES OF INSPIRATION
During Holiday Season
https://www.hemlibra.com/

In recent years, people with hemophilia A have found hope thanks to important developments in the treatment of this bleeding disorder. For some living with this chronic condition, this may mean experiencing the coming holiday season with a new outlook on living with hemophilia A.

Guy is in his mid-30’s and was diagnosed with hemophilia A at birth. As a child, he experienced spontaneous brain bleeds at 18-months-old and again at three-years-old, which led to him becoming legally blind and experiencing seizures. Guy remembers going to the hospital multiple times a week for treatment and having over 20 surgeries. As a young adult, he avoided certain activities that might lead to a bleed.

Hemophilia A is a rare genetic bleeding disorder, typically diagnosed at a very young age, in which a person’s blood does not clot properly, leading to uncontrolled bleeding that can occur spontaneously. There are approximately 20,000 people who have hemophilia in the United States, with hemophilia A being the most common form.1,2 For people diagnosed with this rare condition, it can be a life-altering diagnosis. Even with treatment, hemophilia A can result in bleeds in muscles and joints that may lead to joint damage and chronic pain.2

People like Guy can face significant challenges managing their condition.3 After decades of accepting this as his normal, he began a different medicine that he takes once a month and has experienced fewer bleeds requiring treatment. Guy recently earned a master’s degree to pursue a career in strategic marketing. He has so much to celebrate this holiday season–it will be particularly special as his first as a newlywed after getting married in a small ceremony this past June.

Dr. Amy Shapiro, a hematologist-oncologist and Co-Founder of the Indiana Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center along with Guy Law, to discuss the impact this latest treatment continues to have for people living with hemophilia A.

Interview is courtesy: Genentech

1 Hemophilia Federation of America. Hemophilia A. https://www.hemophiliafed.org/understanding-bleeding-disorders/what-ishemophilia/hemophilia-a. Accessed October 12, 2020.
2 Mayo Clinic. Symptoms and Causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hemophilia/symptoms-causes/syc20373327. Accessed October 12, 2020.
3 Bauer, K. A. (2015). Current Challenges in the Management of Hemophilia. American Journal of Managed Care, 21(6).

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The post Hope for Those with Hemophilia appeared first on Good News!.