Factor VIII Inhibitors: The Most Significant Complication in Hemophilia A

Christopher E. Walsh, MD, PhD

August 27, 2019

Hemophilia A affects more than 20,000 men in the United States, afflicting them with chronic pain, disabling joint damage, and risk for spontaneous internal bleeding. Despite the advent of new therapies, clinicians struggle to prevent the development of anti-factor VIII neutralizing antibodies, or inhibitors, which reduce the efficacy of FVIII replacement. In this ReCAP, Dr Christopher Walsh of Mount Sinai Hemophilia Treatment Center in New York City explains that the etiology of these inhibitors is largely unknown and that their prevalence may be vastly underestimated. Following the results of the HAVEN trials, the approval of emicizumab for patients with or without inhibitors has signaled a shift in the management of hemophilia A. The persistent problem of inhibitor development, however, continues to have serious consequences for patient quality of life and outcomes.

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Cite this: Factor VIII Inhibitors: The Most Significant Complication in Hemophilia A - Medscape - Aug 27, 2019.

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