New antibody eases hemophilia treatment

A new antibody eases treatment of severe hemophilia A. Japanese investigators studied emicizumab, a humanized bispecific antibody that mimics the cofactor function of factor VIII, in 18 patients with severe hemophilia A (with or without factor VIII inhibitors). Delivered subcutaneously weekly for 12 weeks, emicizumab markedly decreased the bleeding rate in these patients and was not associated with serious adverse events or clinically relevant coagulation abnormalities (Shima M, et al. N Engl J Med. 2016;374(2):2044-2053). 

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Ms Freedman is a freelance medical editor and writer in New Jersey. She has nothing to disclose in regard to affiliations with or financial interests in any organizations that may have an interest in any part of this article.