Treating Hemophilia
While hemophilia cannot be cured, it can be treated and successfully managed. Hemophilia
A is treated by increasing the level of factor VIII (FVIII) in the blood. This is
done by an infusion (injection) of factor replacement therapy, also called FVIII
product.
Initially, infusion is typically done at a hospital or
hemophilia treatment center
(HTC), but parents usually learn how to infuse their children themselves. Infusing
at home is convenient and saves time (which is especially important to minimizing
joint damage when joint bleeds occur). Eventually, when children are older, they
learn to infuse themselves.
Up to 36% of patients with severe hemophilia A will develop an
inhibitor
in response to treatment. If the clotting factor is seen as a foreign invader, the
body develops the inhibitor to block the clotting action of the factor. This makes
treatment more challenging. Please consult with your physician or HTC if you have questions about inhibitors.
Types of factor
There are two kinds of FVIII products: human plasma-derived and recombinant FVIII.
Human plasma-derived products are taken directly from donated plasma. With recombinant
factor, the proteins needed to make FVIII product are not taken from human plasma,
but synthesized in a laboratory using recombinant DNA technology.