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Review
. 2017 Jun 15:8:67-73.
doi: 10.2147/JBM.S103796. eCollection 2017.

Many factor VIII products available in the treatment of hemophilia A: an embarrassment of riches?

Kenneth Lieuw  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Many factor VIII products available in the treatment of hemophilia A: an embarrassment of riches?

Kenneth Lieuw. J Blood Med. .

Abstract

Hemophilia A (HA) is a common bleeding disorder caused by the deficiency of factor VIII (FVIII) with an incidence of ~1 in 5000 male births. Replacement of FVIII is necessary to prevent and treat bleeding episodes. However, with multiple new drugs in addition to old standards, choosing among the different FVIII treatment options is harder than ever. There are FVIII products that are plasma derived or recombinant, FVIII products designed to extend the half-life of FVIII, and the first single-chain FVIII product, recombinant factor VIII single chain (rFVIII-SC). As development of inhibitors to FVIII continues to be a major problem in the care of HA patients, recent studies showing lower rates of inhibitor development with plasma-derived FVIIII products versus recombinant FVIII products have made choosing among the many options now available even more complex. Although still unproven, extended half-life (EHL) products may provide the hope of decreased immunogenicity but need further testing in previously untreated patients (PUPs). This review highlights some of the differences between FVIII products currently available and hopefully assists the clinician to decide which FVIII product to choose for their patients.

Keywords: bleeding disorder; extended half-life factor VIII; factor VIII; hemophilia; hemophilia A; immunogenicity; inhibitor development; recombinant factor VIII single chain.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Uniformed Services University, United States Army, the Department of Defense, or the US Government. The identification of specific products, scientific instrumentation, or organization is considered an integral part of the scientific endeavor and does not constitute endorsement or implied endorsement on the part of the author, DoD, or any component agency. The author reports no conflicts of interest in this work.

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