Browsing by Author "Santagostino, E. (7004132887)"

[No abstract available]

Recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) products provide a safe and efficacious replacement therapy for prophylaxis and treatment of bleeding episodes in patients with severe haemophilia A. This multinational, open-label, non-controlled trial investigated the safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetics (PK) of turoctocog alfa, a new rFVIII product, in a paediatric population. The primary objective was to evaluate safety. A total of 31 younger children (0-5 years) and 32 older children (6-11 years), with ≥50 exposure days to any factor VIII (FVIII) product and no history of inhibitors, received prophylaxis with turoctocog alfa (25-50 IU kg-1 every second day or 25-60 IU kg-1 three times weekly). PK assessments of turoctocog alfa and the patients' previous FVIII product were performed in 28 patients. Mean exposure to turoctocog alfa was 60 exposure days per patient. This corresponds to approximately 4.5 months in the trial. None of the patients developed inhibitors (≥0.6 BU) and no safety concerns were raised. A total of 120 bleeding episodes (95%) were controlled with 1-2 infusions of turoctocog alfa. Based on patient reports, the success rate (defined as 'excellent' or 'good' haemostatic response) for treatment of bleeding episodes was 92%. Overall, the median annualized bleeding rate was 3.0 (interquartile range: 8.5) bleeds patient-1 year-1. PK parameters were comparable between the two age groups. In conclusion, the present large global clinical trial showed that turoctocog alfa was safe, effective in treatment of bleeding episodes and had a prophylactic effect in paediatric patients. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Rapid control of bleeding is the key to reducing bleeding complications and thereby preserving joint and musculoskeletal function in haemophilia patients with inhibitors. However, this requires early diagnosis following the onset of bleeding and strategies for rapid treatment in an outpatient setting. Overarching themes on the need for speed in managing bleeds in haemophilia patients were examined by a panel of clinicians experienced in managing inhibitor patients and joint disease during the Third Zürich Haemophilia Forum on 8 May 2009. This report summarizes the opinions of the panel on how to achieve rapid bleeding control in inhibitor patients and areas that were identified by the panel for future research or as needing new consensus guidelines. The consensus was that home treatment should be established for haemophilia patients with inhibitors, as it is associated with a faster time to treatment, as well as improvements in the quality of life of patients and their carers. In addition, as improved haemostatic control now allows inhibitor patients to participate in a wider range of physical activities, specific guidelines are required on which types of sport and work are appropriate. It was agreed that clear, systematic approaches are needed for early diagnosis of joint and muscle bleeds in inhibitor patients, which could facilitate rapid treatment. There may be opportunities for exploiting new diagnostic techniques from osteoarthritis to enable earlier diagnosis of haemophilic arthropathy. Overall, it was concluded that greater emphasis should be placed on education and patients' psychological needs, to enable inhibitor patients to cope up more effectively with their disease. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.