WHAT IS HEMOPHILIA? •
Hemophilia is a disorder that affects an estimated 20,000 people, mostly males, in the U.S.3
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It occurs in all populations across the globe.
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A person has hemophilia for their entire life.
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It is caused by an error in the gene for a clotting factor, which the blood needs to clot normally.
Diplomat Specialty Infusion Group is a national provider of specialty pharmacy and home infusion services, experienced in the treatment of hemophilia and related bleeding disorders. Contact your Diplomat representative today to learn more about how our infusion therapy programs might benefit you.
7167 E. Kemper Road Cincinnati, OH 45249 Phone: 866.442.4679 Fax: 877.588.8470 diplomat.is/specialtyinfusion
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ ncbddd/hemophilia/inhibitors.html. Accessed 8/10/2016. 2. World Federation of Hemophilia. http://www1.wfh.org/publication/files/ pdf-1122.pdf. Accessed 8/3/2016.
The information contained herein may not be construed as medical advice. It is for educational purposes only. Diplomat Pharmacy Inc. takes no responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information contained herein, nor the claims or statements of any manufacturer.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ ncbddd/hemophilia/facts.html. Accessed 8/10/2016.
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INHIBITORS AND HEMOPHILIA Patient Guide
Inhibitors and Hemophilia WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Modern medicine does wonders for those with hemophilia. However, side effects sometimes develop. At Diplomat Specialty Infusion Group, we want our patients to be informed and ready so they can live their lives well.
What are inhibitors? Approximately 15 to 20 percent of people with hemophilia will develop an antibody response (called an inhibitor) to the factor product used to treat or prevent bleeding episodes.1 Simply put, an inhibitor means that the body is rejecting the factor medication. This makes it much harder for the medicine to work and more difficult to stop bleeding. An inhibitor is one of the most serious and costly complications of hemophilia.
Who is affected? An estimated 20-33 percent2 of people with severe hemophilia A develop an inhibitor to clotting medicine. Inhibitors are less common for people with severe hemophilia B, affecting approximately 1 to 6 percent of individuals.2 Because inhibitors usually develop early in the course of treatment, they are most often first seen during childhood. However, some patients develop inhibitors later in life.
Detection and Treatment Detection of inhibitors can be difficult to determine, as patients might not have any symptoms. Inhibitors are often discovered via laboratory testing during regular physician visits. If a hemophilia patient or caregiver believes they or their loved one’s medication is no longer working as well as it used to, they should talk to their physician as soon as possible. At the hemophilia treatment center or hematology clinic, the physician might order a laboratory test to see if an inhibitor has developed. Once it is determined an inhibitor is present, a patient is prescribed alternate treatment.
WE’RE HERE TO HELP. Our staff is on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We are here for you—to listen, to help and to make managing a bleeding disorder a bit easier. Phone: 866.442.4679 Fax: 877.588.8470 diplomat.is/specialtyinfusion