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Factor VIII treatment can help treat and control bleeds1

If you have hemophilia A, or classic hemophilia, you’ve probably heard about a medication called factor VIII treatment. But do you know why it’s been so widely used for decades?1,2 Explore this page to learn why many people with hemophilia A have made factor VIII treatment part of their treatment plan.

So, what exactly is factor VIII treatment?

Factor VIII is a molecule that helps your blood clot, and people with hemophilia A don’t produce enough of it naturally.3 That’s where factor VIII treatment comes in. It replaces the clotting factor that’s missing from your blood.4

FACTOR VIII TREATMENT IS SOMETIMES CALLED:

  • Factor VIII therapy
  • Factor VIII deficiency treatment
  • Factor VIII replacement treatment
  • Factor VIII replacement therapy
  • Or simply, factor VIII
James, a real hemophilia A patient holding his wife's hand while hiking.James, living with hemophilia A

How is Factor VIII Treatment used?

Factor VIII Treatment can be used in three ways1,5:

In fact, factor VIII is the only treatment that is FDA-approved for all three use cases.1,5 In most cases, when a person with hemophilia A has a planned procedure, they are put on a regimen of factor VIII treatment to build up the factor VIII levels in their blood and help control bleeds during surgery.1

For decades, prophylaxis with factor VIII treatment has been a treatment of choice for hemophilia A, with a proven track record of reducing joint bleeds.1,2

IS THERE A CURE FOR
HEMOPHILIA A?

Factor VIII treatment remains the standard of care for treating unexpected bleeds and managing bleeds before, during, and after surgery.1,6 This means that if you use factor VIII for prophylaxis too, it can be your treatment for preventing AND managing bleeds.

Male artist in his workshop pouring paint from a bucket.

Can factor VIII dosing be individualized for your body?

With factor VIII treatment, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to dosing. Because your factor VIII activity levels can be measured and tracked in the blood, your factor VIII treatment can be individualized to help lower your risk for having a bleed—something that’s especially important during physical activity and if you have an active lifestyle.1,6

Your healthcare provider can use something called a pharmacokinetic profile, or PK profile, to determine the right dosage for your body.6

Does every bleed matter?

Have you felt the
aura?

Some people with hemophilia A say they have a tingling sensation that can help them recognize the early symptoms of a bleed.1 Talk to your healthcare provider about appropriate ways to react if you have this feeling.

Has factor VIII treatment been shown to be effective?

If reducing bleeds is your goal, factor VIII has been proven to help. In one study of 6,196 patients aged 2 to 69, factor VIII treatment was shown to be effective in reducing8:

  • Joint bleeding rates
  • Total bleeding rates
  • Target joint bleeding
Joint bleed icon.

Are bleeds impacting your life?

Prophylactic factor VIII treatment has demonstrated improvement in certain aspects of life for some patients, such as decreasing the number of bleeds and related pain.1,9

A man and a woman wearing the Hemo Walk t-shirt while running.Peter, living with hemophilia A

Keeping joints healthy too

In addition to reducing evident joint bleeds, factor VIII treatment can help protect you from bleeds, even the ones you can’t see or feel that can cause damage to your joints.6,7

TRUE OR FALSE: Factor VIII
treatment can help to
keep my joints healthy.

A man in the middle of the sea on his boat.

Is factor VIII treatment safe?

Like all treatments, factor VIII treatment isn’t right for everyone and does have some risks and side effects.

Allergic reactions

Some people are allergic to factor VIII treatment and may have a reaction. Stop treatment and contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience10:

  • Swelling
  • Chest tightness
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Wheezing
  • Hives
  • Itchiness

Inhibitors

People who use factor VIII treatment can develop inhibitors, which means that future infusions will be less effective. Your healthcare provider will monitor you for the development of inhibitors.1

There’s a reason factor VIII treatment has helped many people

For decades, prophylaxis with factor VIII treatment has been a treatment of choice for hemophilia A, with a proven track record of reducing bleeds.1,2 There are other treatments for hemophilia A besides factor VIII that can be used to help prevent bleeds.6

It is important to remember that factor VIII treatment:

Want to see if factor VIII treatment could be a fit for you? Ask your healthcare provider about starting a factor VIII treatment routine, and sign up for more information below.

Explore ResourcesSign Up for More Info
  1. Srivastava A, Santagostino E, Dougall A, et al. WFH guidelines for the management of hemophilia, 3rd ed.Haemophilia. 2020;26(suppl 6):1-158.
  2. History. National Hemophilia Foundation. Accessed August 13, 2021. https://www.hemophilia.org/bleeding-disorders-a-z/overview/history
  3. Bleeding disorders. National Institutes of Health. Accessed August 13, 2021. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/bleeding-disorders
  4. Hemophilia A. National Hemophilia Foundation. Accessed August 13, 2021. https://www.hemophilia.org/bleeding-disorders-a-z/types/hemophilia-a
  5. Hemophilia A. National Organization for Rare Diseases. Accessed August 13, 2021. https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/hemophilia-a/
  6. Aledort L, Mannucci PM, Schramm W, Tarantino M. Factor VIII replacement is still the standard of care in haemophilia A. Blood Transfus.2019;17(6):479-486.
  7. Joint Damage. Hemophilia Federation of America. Accessed August 13, 2021. https://www.hemophiliafed.org/home/understanding-bleeding-disorders/complications/joint-damage/
  8. Manco-Johnson MJ, Soucie JM, Gill JC. Prophylaxis usage, bleeding rates, and joint outcomes of hemophilia, 1999 to 2010: a surveillance project. Blood. 2017;129(17):2368-2374
  9. Auerswald G, Dolan G, Duffy A, et al. Pain and pain management in haemophilia.  Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis.2016;27(8):845-854.
  10. Allergic reactions to factor concentrate. Hemophilia of Georgia. Accessed August 13, 2021. https://www.hog.org/handbook/article/3/35/allergic-reactions-to-factor-concentrate
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