While there is no cure for hemophilia A, there are a number of effective treatment options available.1,2 One common treatment is called factor replacement therapy, which is an injectable treatment that helps replace the clotting factor VIII that is missing or low in the blood and helps blood clot properly.1,3 Other treatments or therapies include2,4:
Factor replacement therapy has evolved over the past few decades. Today, clotting factor VIII concentrates can be made without human plasma. These types of infusions are called recombinant clotting factors and cannot spread bloodborne illness, unlike plasma treatments.5
The Medical and Scientific Advisory Council (MASAC) of the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) encourages the use of recombinant clotting factor products.3 Your doctor or your Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC) will help you decide which treatment option is right for you.
If you are prescribed replacement therapy, your doctor will talk to you about using treatment at regular intervals to help prevent bleeds (prophylaxis or preventative treatment) or when a bleed occurs (on-demand treatment).1
Use case1,6 | When treatment is used1,6 | Commonly used for1,6 |
---|---|---|
Prophylaxis (preventative) | At regular intervals | People with severe hemophilia |
On-demand | When a bleed occurs | People with mild to moderate hemophilia |
Surgical | Before, during, and after a surgery | People with hemophilia undergoing surgical procedures, in consultation with their doctor |
You can inject both prophylactic and on-demand replacement therapy at home. Because home treatment can be given more quickly when a bleed occurs, it lowers the risk serious bleeding and side effects.1
"Things have changed. Just, oh my God, things have changed. It's nothing like it was before. My outlook for my son is bright." — Athena, parent
Half-life is related to how long treatment can stay in your body and specifically how long it takes half of the infused factor to clear from your body. The longer the half-life, the longer your treatment is present in your body.7 This allows you and your doctor to plan your treatment regimen so that your factor levels fit your lifestyle.
Standard (or traditional) clotting factor has a half-life of 8-12 hours in most people with hemophilia A.7
Extended (or prolonged) clotting factor has a longer half-life so it stays in your blood longer.7
Pharmacokinetics (PK) is the study of how the body absorbs, distributes, and processes drugs.8 Doctors can create personalized PK profiles that help them better understand how quickly a patient's body breaks down treatment, which is then used to tailor treatment to meets that patient's specific needs.9
You can help your doctor tailor your treatment to your specific needs by keeping track of your bleeds, physical activity, and infusions. Mobile applications are available to track your bleeds and infusion times.10 You can ask your doctor or HTC about PK profiling options that are available to you to help individualize your or your child's hemophilia treatment.9
Learn more about home infusion or self-infusion of factor replacement.
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