Critical appraisal of the role of recombinant activated factor VII in the treatment of hemophilia patients with inhibitors

Hemophilia patients with inhibitors faced the constraint of inadequate treatment for several years before the era of recombinant factor VIIa (rFVII). Initially, rFVIIa was used in the compassionate-use programs. After a worldwide license was issued, more than 1.5 million doses were administered. Bleeding of joints and muscles was controlled effectively by means of an early home treatment program, with either a standard dose of 90 mu g/kg every 2 to 3 hours for a few doses or a single dose of 270 mu g/kg. For more serious bleeding episodes or minor surgery, an initial dose of 90 mu g/kg was given every 2 hours for 24 to 48 hours followed by increased intervals of 3 to 6 hours according to the severity of bleeding and efficacy of bleeding control. In cases of major surgery such as orthopedic procedures, the same regimen can be applied except for a higher initial dose of 120 to 180 mu g/kg. However, increasing the dose should be considered if there are unexpected bleeding complications since the half-life and clearance of rFVIIa differ between individuals. In addition, prophylaxis is administered to a small number of patients. Finally, the reported thromboembolic events found in hemophilia patients with inhibitors receiving rFVIIa are extremely low, much less than 1%.