European data of a clinical trial with a sucrose formulated recombinant factor VIII in previously treated haemophilia A patients

To increase the safety of antihaemophilic treatment, the production process of full-length recombinant factor VIII (FVIII) KOGENATE(R) Bayer (Kogenate (R)FS)has been modified. Human albumin is no longer added as stabilizer during purification and in final formulation. Instead, the new KOGENATE(R) Bayer production process uses sucrose as a stabilizer in the formulation and adds solvent/detergent virus inactivation step. An European clinical trial was carried out in Germany and France in previously treated patients with severe haemophilia A who had more than 100 exposure days to exogenous FVIII. Pharmacokinetic data was analysed according to one-stage and chromogenic assays. Efficacy and safety during home therapy and in surgical procedures were evaluated; inhibitor formation was carefully monitored. Safety and efficacy were evaluated in 33 European patients for 24 months. Patients received more than 13 million IU KOGENATE(R) Bayer. Over 75% of patients accrued more than 100 exposure days with the new product. Of 575 bleeding episodes, 90.7% were treated with 1 or 2 infusions and 75.8% of responses to treatment were rated as 'excellent' or 'good'. Prophylactic: treatment was the most common mode of therapy (60.7% of infusions). The product was well-tolerated and FVIII recovery studies were consistent throughout the study period. Only 0.26% of adverse events were reported to be drug related. No evidence of de novo inhibitor formation was observed. Overall, KOGENATE(R) Bayer was efficacious, safe and well-tolerated for the treatment of haemophilia A in multi-transfused patients.