Teen first to be treated with new haemophilia drug
Getty ImagesA teenager from Hull has become the first person in the country to be treated with a new haemophilia drug which is easier to administer, a hospital trust has said.
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said the patient, who has a severe form of haemophilia B, had been successfully treated with the drug Marstacimab.
It is administered via weekly injections and is currently funded by the NHS for treatment of some patients with haemophilia A and B, according to the trust.
The patient's family said the new drug was "a game-changer" because the medication could be administered at home.
Haemophilia is a rare condition that affects the way blood clots, and sufferers bleed more easily.
It cannot usually be cured, but treatment can help control the symptoms.
Marstacimab targets a protein in the blood-clotting process to prevent bleeding in patients with haemophilia A or B.
'More pleasant'
Dr Jireh Ann Batac, haematology consultant at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said the drug caused less discomfort for patients and the process of administering it was much easier.
"Before this drug, the treatment was always intravenous [IV]. This medication means they don't have to inject using IV, " Batac explained.
"That means his parents have been able to administer the injections at home and there's been no difficulty doing this."
According to the trust, the patient has severe haemophilia B, severe autism and development delay.
The patient's family said the use of Marstacimab had enabled their "severely disabled" child to access less challenging treatment.
"To be able to administer a treatment that is more pleasant for our son is something we are grateful for," they said in a statement.
"It truly was a game-changer for us."
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