Congenital and acquired bleeding disorders: the right factor for the right patient

Clotting factor replacement therapy continues to save lives and improve clinical outcomes for people with bleeding disorders. The therapeutic armamentarium is well established in the treatment of hemophilia A and B, and looks set to expand further with the possible introduction of new treatments and longer-acting therapies. While many biopharmaceutical companies are focusing their research efforts solely on factor VIII (FVIII)- and factor IX (FIX)-based therapies, CSL Behring retains its commitment to the entire bleeding disorders community, supporting research and product development in some of the rarest congenital and acquired bleeding disorders. To reflect this commitment, a scientific symposium was held recently at the XXX Congress of the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) in Paris, France. The symposium was chaired by Dr. David Bevan from St Thomas' Hospital in London, UK and Professor Johannes Oldenburg from the University Hospital Bonn, in Bonn, Germany. Delegates heard presentations on the diagnosis and treatment of acquired von Willebrand syndrome (AVWS), congenital fibrinogen deficiency, and hereditary factor XIII (FXIII) deficiency, as well as hearing news of progress in the SWIFT (Studies with von Willebrand factor/Factor VIII) program for Biostate (R) and recommendations for the use of fibrinogen concentrate in surgical and trauma patients. This synopsis summarizes key information from the five symposium presentations.