Long acting factors to make life of haemophilia patients easier: Dr Pophali

NAGPUR: Patients suffering from genetic blood disorder haemophilia lack the ability of their blood clotting naturally, as their bodies lack the protein that performs this function. They need to be injected with this lacking factor in order to avoid bleeding to death. With the help of the newly developed long acting factors, their lives can improve further, informed haematologist Dr Avinash Pophali.
He was speaking on the occasion of World Haemophilia Day in an event organized by the city branch of Paediatric Intensive Care Chapter of Indian Association of Paediatrics (IAP). The new team of the organization also took charge on the day. Several lectures on emergencies in paediatric practice were also delivered in the CME following the installation of the new team.
Dr Pophali started with the basic types of haemophilia, A and B, that are caused by the absence of anti-haemophilia factors (AHF) 8 and 9 in the body. The half life of AHF 8 is usually 8-12 hours while that of AHF 9 is 18-24 hours. The long acting factors, he informed, had the half lives of 18-22 hours and 54-90 hours respectively.
“This means the long acting factors have enhanced the duration for which the factors remain effective after being injected into a patient’s body by two and three times respectively. This reduces the frequency of requiring to be injected. This is an important step towards better prevention as well as treatment,” said Dr Pophali.