Summary
The burden of disease in haemophilia patients has wide ranging implications for the
family and to society. There is evidence that having a current inhibitor increases
the risk of morbidity and mortality. Morbidity is increased by the inability to treat
adequately and its consequent disabilities, which then equates to a poor quality of
life compared with non-inhibitor patients. The societal cost of care, or `burden of
inhibitors’, increases with the ongoing presence of an inhibitor. Therefore, it is
clear that successful eradication of inhibitors by immune tolerance induction (ITI)
is the single most important milestone one can achieve in an inhibitor patient. The
type of factor VIII (FVIII) product used in ITI regimens varies worldwide. Despite
ongoing debate, there is in vitro and retrospective clinical evidence to support the
use of plasma-derived VWF-containing FVIII concentrates in ITI regimens in order to
achieve early and high inhibitor eradication success rates.
Keywords
Haemophilia - FVIII - immune tolerance induction - inhibitor - von Willebrand factor