World Haemophilia Day: Pfizer reinforces commitment to patients living with disorder

An American multinational pharmaceutical company, Pfizer Inc. has reinforced its commitment to work tirelessly towards finding breakthrough solutions, creating innovative access and therapeutic options to changing the lives of patients living with the rare blood disorder.

The World Haemophilia Day is observed worldwide annually to raise awareness for the rare genetic bleeding disorder.

Speaking at a media roundtable organised by Pfizer to commemorate this year’s edition themed “World Haemophilia Day’s (WHD) Access For All: Prevention of Bleeds” Kodjo Soroh, Medical Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Pfizer, expressed Pfizer’s commitment to advancing treatment for haemophilia and bridge gaps in access to care for sufferers of the disorder.

He said, “Pfizer’s efforts at advancing treatment for haemophilia and bridge gaps in access to care resonates with this year’s theme of World Haemophilia Day’s (WHD) Access For All: Prevention of Bleeds.

“Pfizer’s commitment to equity and continued investment in haemophilia is evident in its more than 30 years of experience in developing therapies for haematological disorders as it has a deep understanding of the significant challenges that people living with haemophilia continually face.

“Therefore, we will continue to amplify and celebrate the work of the global haemophilia community as we create awareness on the need for innovation in access to haemophilia treatments.”

Also speaking, Prof. Akanmu Sulaimon, Professor of Haematology and Blood Transfusion of the University of Lagos disclosed that the bleeding disorder is exclusively found in males.

He said, “Haemophilia, a rare genetic bleeding disorder that causes the blood to take a long time to clot because of a deficiency in one of several blood clotting factors, is almost exclusively found in males.

“People with haemophilia are at risk for excessive and recurrent bleeding from modest injuries, which have the potential to be life threatening. People with severe haemophilia 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.

According to the World Federation of Haemophilia, an international not-for-profit organization, more than 38,000 people worldwide were living with haemophilia B in 2021.

WFH works closely in partnership with haemophilia treatment centers (HTCs) in 29 African countries to share knowledge and build global awareness through information exchange, education, and training. WFH also provides ∼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 Haemophilia for WHD.”

Dr Vivian Painstil, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Child Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana and a Senior Specialist Paediatrician at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi commented, “The burden people living with haemophilia B face is significant, with many receiving routine infusions or injections which can interfere with their ability to take part in day-to-day activities that many take for granted.”

For Adam Cuker, MD, MS, Director, Penn Comprehensive and Haemophilia Thrombosis Program, “The BENEGENE-2 data demonstrate the promise of this gene therapy candidate as a potential one-time option for people living with haemophilia B as a means of reducing the clinical and treatment burden over the long term.”

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