Antihemophilic

Antihemophilic refers to substances that counteract or treat hemophilia. Hemophilia is a genetic disorder characterized by deficient blood clotting, leading to prolonged bleeding. The primary treatment for hemophilia involves replacing the missing clotting factor that is deficient in the patient's blood. These replacement factors are often referred to as antihemophilic factors.

The most common types of hemophilia are hemophilia A, caused by a deficiency in clotting factor VIII, and hemophilia B, caused by a deficiency in clotting factor IX. Antihemophilic therapy for hemophilia A utilizes factor VIII concentrates, while treatment for hemophilia B uses factor IX concentrates. These concentrates are derived from human plasma or produced through recombinant DNA technology.

Administration of antihemophilic agents is typically done intravenously, either on demand to stop bleeding episodes or prophylactically to prevent bleeding. The goal is to maintain sufficient levels of the deficient clotting factor in the bloodstream to allow for normal hemostasis. The development of effective antihemophilic therapies has significantly improved the quality of life and life expectancy for individuals with hemophilia. Ongoing research continues to focus on more convenient and potentially curative treatments, such as gene therapy.