Category: Medical News

Update #4: MASAC Issues Recommendation on SIPPET

On June 28, 2016, the National Hemophilia Foundation’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee (MASAC) issued a recommendation following the published results of the Survey of Inhibitors in Plasma Products Exposed Toddler (SIPPET) The SIPPET study was published in the New England Journal Of Medicine (NEJM) in May 2016. The full text of the SIPPET study is available for a […]

Update #3: SIPPET Study Released

On May 26 2016, the New England Journal Of Medicine (NEJM) published the results of the Survey of Inhibitors in Plasma Products Exposed Toddler (SIPPET) study. Investigators found that in a randomized study, when previously-untreated patients (PUPs) were treated with recombinant factor VIII, there was an 87% higher incidence of inhibitor development than when treated with plasma-derived […]

Gene Editing Removes HIV From Human T-Cells

Note: Scientific Reports released an article outlining the results of a study by researchers at Temple University offers promising new advancements toward a cure for HIV.  Using specialized gene-editing,  researchers were able to effectively and safely eliminate HIV-1 from the DNA of human T-cells. This study is especially promising in that there appear to be very little to no side […]

Emicizumab Study Results Released in New England Journal of Medicine

Note: The New England Journal of Medicine released an article outlining the results of a study of a new drug, Emicizumab (ACE910, Chugai Pharmaceuticals), that shows reduced bleeding in patients with severe hemophilia A. Read the full article, Factor VIII-Mimetic Function of Humanized Bispecific Antibody in Hemophilia A, in the New England Journal of Medicine. This video […]

Zika Virus and the Blood Supply

We’ve recently received questions from the bleeding disorders community about the Zika Virus and the possibility of transmission via the blood supply. Zika is primarily transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, the same mosquitoes that spread Chikungunya and dengue.HFA has been in contact with the Centers of Diseases and Control (CDC) and the […]

New Gene Therapy Treatment Proves Effective In Dogs

Note: The following is an edited form of a press release from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. The original release can be read here. A single injection. That’s all someone with a factor VII deficiency would need for a life-long cure, thanks to a new gene therapy treatment developed in a collaboration […]

FDA’s Completed Revision of MSM Donor Deferral Policy

Background The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for recommending policies and making rules regarding the donation of blood and blood products. During the 1980s, when it became clear that transmission of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) happened through blood, the FDA began recommending multiple policies that would decrease the risk of transmission of […]

Update #2: SIPPET Study

This past weekend, the American Society of Hematology (ASH), a worldwide organization of 15,000+ medical and scientific experts on blood diseases, held their 57th Annual Meeting to discuss new treatments and research methods.During this meeting, a group of doctors from around the globe presented the findings of the Survey of Inhibitors in Plasma-Product Exposed Toddlers (SIPPET). The […]

Pain and Mobility Are Major Problems for Patients with Hemophilia

Note: The following originally appeared on MDMagazine.com. New research further supports the understanding that patients with hemophilia suffer from pain and mobility issues, and it went on to uncover which joints are most greatly affected by the condition.Christine Kempton, MD, MSc, from Emory University in Georgia, and colleagues used multiple strategies to find how big […]

UPDATE #1: Results of Toddler Inhibitor Study (SIPPET) Announced

The American Society of Hemophilia (ASH) released information about their upcoming 57th ASH Annual Meeting, which will be held December 5-8, 2015 in Orlando, Florida. Included in the program information is a paper abstract about the SIPPET study (Survey of Inhibitors in Plasma-Product Exposed Toddlers.) A plenary session with further information will be presented at the […]