Recombinant vs. plasma-derived products, especially those with intact VWF, regarding inhibitor development

The development of inhibitors in previously untreated patients (PUPs) with haemophilia A is correlated with a variety of endogenous and exogenous risk factors. It is still controversial whether recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) products pose a higher risk for inhibitor development than plasma-derived (pd) FVIII concentrates, particularly with intact von Willebrand factor (VWF). A systematic review on the epidemiology of inhibitors in haemophilia A investigated the influence of different FVIII products on inhibitor formation. Patients treated with a single pd product had a lower cumulative incidence (0-12.4%) than those treated with a single recombinant concentrate (36.0-38.7%) independent of disease severity, study size, or inhibitor testing frequency. However, this analysis does not take into account the heterogeneity of the study populations. A study investigating the effects of different variables on inhibitor development in PUPs was started 13 years ago by the Paediatric Committee of the German, Austrian and Swiss Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis Research. This prospectively conducted study revealed a slight difference (P = 0.08) in terms of type of concentrate. In the group of severe haemophiliacs treated with pdFVIII concentrate (n = 57), 12 patients developed an inhibitor (21%), whereas 17 of 47 patients receiving rFVIII (36%) were affected by this complication. This observation was substantiated by retrospective Italian and French analyses. These results, as well as hypothetical considerations, indicate that there is a body of evidence that FVIII products with VWF may be less immunogenic in PUPs. However, in order to provide more evidence a well-designed randomized study is needed.