Hemophilia is a rare, inherited bleeding disorder in which your blood doesn't clot normally. In hemophiliacs, the protein, called factor VIII, is missing or its effectiveness is decreased.
If you have hemophilia, you may bleed for a longer time than others after an injury. You also may bleed internally, especially in your knees, ankles, and elbows. This bleeding can damage your organs or tissues and, sometimes, be fatal. About 15,000 Americans have hemophilia, majority being males.
Each year, about 400 babies are born with the disorder. Hemophilia usually occurs only in males (with very rare exceptions).
There are two main types of hemophilia. If you have hemophilia A, you have little to no clotting factor VIII (8). About nine out of 10 people with hemophilia have type A. If you have hemophilia B, you're missing or have low levels of clotting factor IX (9).
Xyntha is licensed for the control and prevention of bleeding, which can occur spontaneously or after an accident or injury in patients diagnosed with hemophilia A. Xyntha is also licensed to help prevent surgical bleeding in this patient population.
Madison, N.J.-based Wyeth makes the drug by modifying cells from hamster ovaries to produce the clotting protein. The cells then are processed to remove bacteria and viruses. These cells are free from known infectious agents, and Xyntha undergoes an additional process of viral inactivation.
Minor side effects seen with Xyntha include headache and fever. Two of the 89 people who underwent 50 days of treatment developed antibodies to Xyntha that countered the treatment's ability to work.
