Hemophilia: Reducing Treatment Burden with Pen Devices

Chandrakala Shanmukaiah1, Parul Bhatt2, Kundan Mishra3

  • 1Professor and Head, Department of Clinical Hematology, Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College and King Edward Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Corresponding Author.

Hemophilia is a coagulation disorder caused by deficient or absent clotting factors. It is a chronic disease that starts from birth and requires lifelong intravenous administration of antihemophilic factors. Healthcare professionals (HCPs), patients living with hemophilia, and their caregivers have reported concerns regarding the challenges associated with the intravenous route and the deterioration in their quality of life (QoL) due to the frequently repeated infusions necessary to maintain the desired levels of clotting factors. Patients with hemophilia and their caregivers have often voiced their need for easier methods of treatment administration, similar to the way insulin is delivered subcutaneously using a pen. Subcutaneous injection using a pen device is a known way to improve treatment compliance and adherence in patients with chronic diseases. The recent introduction of pen devices for hemophilia treatment administration is expected to reduce the administration burden and improve QoL. The narrative review presents the advantages of pen devices and patient and caregiver attitudes toward these newly introduced pen devices in hemophilia.

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