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Hemophilia Solutions - September 2004

Welcome!

Welcome to the first issue of the newly revised Hemophilia Solutions - now an electronic newsletter distributed quarterly by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. This newsletter will provide updates about community programs and news related to Wyeth hemophilia products. We hope that you find it informative and useful. We invite you to send comments and questions to us at hemophiliasolutions@ovm1.net.

In this issue:

  • Hemophilia Summer Camp Support
  • 2004-2005 Scholarship Winners
  • Second Manufacturing Facility for BeneFIX®
  • ReFacto® Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant) Turns Five in Europe

Hemophilia Summer Camp Support

In the past eight years, Wyeth has donated free product to hemophilia summer camps around the country. This summer, Wyeth contributed nearly 1 million units of ReFacto® Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant) and BeneFIX® Coagulation Factor IX (Recombinant). We know how important summer camp is for children in the hemophilia community, and are happy to provide this service to contribute to their success. Please contact your local Wyeth representative for more information about Wyeth donations to summer camp programs via the Wyeth Hemophilia Hotline at (888) 999-2349.

Wyeth also supports summer camps through sponsorship of the North American Camping Conference of Hemophilia Organizations (NACCHO), conducted by the Hemophilia Association in Arizona. Last year, volunteers from 25 camps came together in Tempe, Arizona to discuss best practices. Stay tuned for more information about NACCHO '05 (February 11-13, 2005) in future issues of this newsletter.

Scholarship Winners

Continuing its tradition of supporting education in the hemophilia community, this spring, Wyeth announced the winners of the Soozie Courter Sharing a Brighter Tomorrow Hemophilia Scholarship. This program, in its seventh year, awarded nearly $100,000 in scholarships to members of the community, an increase from last year's scholarship total of $75,000. Wyeth awarded a total of 18 scholarships, including:

15 undergraduate scholarships for $5,000 each
2 graduate scholarships for $7,500 each
1 vocational scholarship for $2,500

A list of the scholarship winners may be found at our Web site, www.hemophiliavillage.com. Also check the website in the fall for the scholarship application for the 2005-2006 academic year. Congratulations to all of the winners!

Second Manufacturing Facility for BeneFIX®

As the only manufacturer of a recombinant factor IX therapy, Wyeth takes the responsibility of providing a consistent supply of BeneFIX Coagulation Factor IX (Recombinant) very seriously. In March 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a second manufacturing facility for BeneFIX, which represents our commitment to meet the future needs of the worldwide hemophilia B community. This second facility is located in the Philadelphia area. BeneFIX is also produced at our facility in Andover, Massachusetts.

BeneFIX is indicated for the control and prevention of hemorrhagic episodes in patients with hemophilia B (congenital factor IX deficiency or Christmas disease), including control and prevention of bleeding in surgical settings. BeneFIX is not indicated for routine prophylaxis.

As with the intravenous administration of any protein product, common adverse reactions may include headache, fever, chills, flushing, nausea, vomiting, or tiredness. Allergic-type hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, have been reported for all factor IX products. Patients should be informed of the early symptoms and signs of hypersensitivity reactions. Patients should discontinue use of the product and contact their health care provider immediately and/or seek emergency care if any hypersensitivity reactions occur. Please see Prescribing Information.

ReFacto® Celebrates a Five-Year Milestone in Europe

Recently, the European regulatory authority renewed its approval for marketing ReFacto® Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant). In Europe, drugs are reviewed by regulators five years after the product is introduced. ReFacto was approved for marketing in Europe in 1999 and in the United States in 2000.

ReFacto is indicated for the control and prevention of hemorrhagic episodes and for surgical and short-term routine prophylaxis in patients with hemophilia A. The effect of regular routine prophylaxis on long-term morbidity and mortality is unknown.

As with the intravenous administration of any protein product, adverse reactions may include headache, fever, chills, flushing, nausea, vomiting, tiredness, or symptoms of allergic reactions. The remote possibility exists for hypersensitivity to non-human mammalian proteins. Please see Prescribing Information.

We hope you enjoyed the new Hemophilia Solutions - in our next issue, we'll preview our activities at the NHF Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas (November 4-6, 2004).

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