On March 20, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) approved ‘Obijour Inj’ (Sus Octocog Alpha), a bleeding treatment for patients with acquired hemophilia A of Takeda Pharmaceutical Korea, an orphan drug.
Patients with acquired hemophilia A have normal coagulation factor VIII, but neutralizing antibodies that specifically bind to factor VIII interfere with blood coagulation, making it difficult to stop bleeding when bleeding.
To date, a total of 12 factors involved in blood clotting are known. Congenital hemophilia A is caused by factor VIII deficiency, hemophilia B is caused by factor IX deficiency, and hemophilia C is known to be caused by factor IX deficiency.
Obijourju is a blood coagulation factor VIII manufactured by using the genetic sequence of pig blood coagulation factor VIII and removing parts not necessary for blood clotting with genetic recombination technology.
The drug helps hemostasis in patients with hemophilia A by temporarily replacing factor VIII, which is inhibited by neutralizing antibodies.
