About hemophilia A: Signs and symptoms of factor VIII deficiency
What is hemophilia?
Hemophilia is a type of bleeding disorder that causes the blood to take a long time to clot. This can cause abnormal bleeding, or bleeding that won't stop. People with hemophilia have too little—or even none—of a protein in the blood called clotting factor. Hemophilia most often affects males and, in most cases, it is inherited (passed down through families).
Originally, hemophilia was thought to be a single disease. In the 1950s, doctors discovered that there were actually two forms of the disease: hemophilia A and hemophilia B. While the symptoms are similar, the clotting factor that is missing in people with hemophilia A is different than the clotting factor that is missing in people with hemophilia B. Because of this, they are treated with different medications.
Hemophilia A or factor VIII deficiency
Hemophilia A is the most common form of hemophilia, occurring in about 1 in every 10,000 males. A 2008 global survey by The World Federation of Hemophilia reported that there were about 12,400 people with hemophilia A in the United States and 108,000 worldwide.
People with hemophilia A, also called "classic hemophilia," have a deficiency in clotting factor VIII, meaning that clotting factor VIII is either missing or is present at a low level.
Signs and symptoms
The signs and symptoms of hemophilia A can include:
- Bleeding following injury or surgery
- Spontaneous bleeding (spontaneous means that the bleeding occurs without an apparent cause)
- Bruising
- Pain and swelling resulting from bleeding into joints and muscles
- Blood in the urine or stool
- Heavy bleeding following circumcision
- Unexplained nosebleeds
- Brain bleeds
Classification
| Hemophilia Severity | Factor VIII Level |
|---|---|
| Mild | More than 5% of normal |
| Moderate | 1% to 5% of normal |
| Severe | Less than 1% of normal |
Hemophilia is classified as mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the level of clotting factor in the blood. While more severe hemophilia is usually diagnosed during infancy, a mild form may not be diagnosed until adulthood.
People without hemophilia have a percentage of factor VIII in their blood that ranges from 50% to 150%.
If you or your child has hemophilia A, it's important to stay current and to know all you can about the therapies available. Together, you and your health care provider can come up with a treatment plan to help ensure long-term health and wellness.
Treating hemophilia A
It's important to manage hemophilia A by taking steps to stop bleeds as soon as they start and by putting together a treatment plan to help avoid bleeds altogether. There are several therapies available to treat hemophilia A. Xyntha® Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant), Plasma/Albumin-Free is a factor VIII replacement product made using a process called recombinant DNA technology, meaning that it is not made using donated human blood. XYNTHA is also purified using a state-of-the-art process that is free of added human and animal materials to reduce the risk of viral contamination. Visit XYNTHA.com to learn more.
What Is XYNTHA?
Xyntha® Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant), Plasma/Albumin-Free is indicated for the control and prevention of bleeding episodes in patients with hemophilia A (congenital factor VIII deficiency or classic hemophilia) and for surgical prophylaxis in patients with hemophilia A.
XYNTHA does not contain von Willebrand factor and, therefore, is not indicated in von Willebrand's disease.
Important Safety Information for XYNTHA
- Allergic reactions are possible with XYNTHA. Signs of an allergic reaction may include hives, rash with itching, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, faintness, or fast heartbeat. XYNTHA contains trace amounts of hamster protein. You may develop an allergic reaction to these proteins. Tell your doctor if you have had an allergic reaction to hamster protein.
- Call your doctor right away if bleeding is not controlled after using your factor VIII replacement therapy; this may be a sign of an inhibitor. Inhibitors have been observed in patients receiving factor VIII products, including XYNTHA.
- The most common adverse reaction in study 1 (safety and efficacy study) is headache (24% of subjects) and in study 2 (surgery study) is fever (41% of subjects). Other common side effects of XYNTHA include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or weakness.
- XYNTHA is an injectable medicine administered by intravenous (IV) infusion. Local irritation may occur when infusing XYNTHA after reconstitution in XYNTHA Solofuse.
Please see full Prescribing Information for XYNTHA.
