In commemoration of the 2023 World Hemophilia Day, Pfizer has reiterated its commitment to hemophilia awareness in promoting the need for innovation in access to treatments for people living with the condition.
“Pfizer’s efforts at advancing treatment for hemophilia and bridge gaps in access to care resonates with this year’s theme of World Hemophilia Day’s (WHD) Access For All: Prevention of Bleeds,” Kodjo Soroh, Medical Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Pfizer, said during a recent virtual media round table.
According to Soroh, Pfizer’s goal to make sure patients living with hemophilia are evident in the drug manufacturer’s effort to continually find breakthrough solutions and therapeutic options to change their living conditions.
He disclosed further that Pfizer’s commitment to equity and continued investment in hemophilia is evident in its over 30 years of experience in developing therapies for hematological disorders based on its deep understanding of the significant challenges that people living with hemophilia continually face.
“Therefore, we will continue to amplify and celebrate the work of the global hemophilia community as we create awareness on the need for innovation in access to hemophilia treatments,” he said.
According to the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH), an international not-for-profit organization, more than 38,000 people worldwide were living with hemophilia B in 2021.
The WFH works closely in partnership with hemophilia treatment centers (HTCs) in 29 African countries to share knowledge and build global awareness through information exchange, education, and training.
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The WFH also provides about 24 million units of CFCs per year to patients in sub-Saharan Africa through a humanitarian aid program. “Pfizer is a visionary partner of the World Federation of Hemophilia for WHD,” Soroh disclosed.
Akanmu Sulaimon, Professor of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, University of Lagos, said hemophilia is a rare genetic bleeding disorder. According to him, the condition causes the blood to take a long time to clot because of a deficiency in one of several blood clotting factors, which is almost exclusively found in males.
He said further that people with hemophilia are at risk for excessive and recurrent bleeding from modest injuries, which have the potential to be life threatening.
“People with severe hemophilia often bleed spontaneously into their muscles or joints, or rarely into other critical closed spaces such as the intracranial space, where bleeding can be fatal,” Sulaimon said.
Vivian Painstil, Senior Lecturer, Department of Child Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana, said that the burden people living with hemophilia B face are significant.
According to her, many with the condition receive routine infusions or injections which can interfere with their ability to take part in day-to-day activities that many take for granted.
“The BENEGENE-2 data demonstrate the promise of this gene therapy candidate as a potential one-time option for people living with hemophilia B as a means of reducing the clinical and treatment burden over the long term,” Adam Cuker, MD, MS, Director, Penn Comprehensive and Hemophilia Thrombosis Program said.
