Drug news
Pro-FEIBA study success in prophylaxis in Haemophlia A patients
An investigator-initiated study (Pro-FEIBA) evaluated the prophylactic use of FEIBA [Anti-inhibitor Coagulant Complex] from Baxter, to ascertain if it can achieve a decrease in the frequency of joint and other bleeding events in patients with severe hemophilia A and inhibitors,compared to on-demand therapy. The study reported that patients with severe hemophilia A treated with FEIBA prophylactically during a six-month period experienced a 62 percent reduction in all bleeds in the prophylaxis period, an average of 5 bleeding events compared to an average of 13.1 percent during the on-demand treatment period. Patients with severe hemophilia A and inhibitors are at increased risk for serious bleeding complications and effective strategies to prevent bleeding in inhibitor patients have not yet been established. see "Anti-Inhibitor Coagulant Complex Prophylaxis in Hemophilia with Inhibitors"
November 3, 2011 Leissinger C., Gringeri A., Antmen B., et al. N Engl J Med 2011; 365:1684 - 1692. In patients with hemophilia A in whom inhibitors of factor VIII develop, the prophylactic use of a factor VIII bypassing agent (anti-inhibitor coagulant complex) three times a week significantly reduced the risk of bleeding.