This lack of prospective comparative data is often attributed

to the relative rarity of haemophilia and the small number of patients at most centres. This is perhaps only partly true because two centres from countries with relatively small populations have collected basic outcome data such as the annual bleeding rates (ABR) and joint scores (clinical and radiological) systematically over a period of decades and taught much to the world. Certainly this could have been BGJ398 done elsewhere as well. We continue to learn from their experiences. A recent comparison of these data have shown that with prophylaxis starting in Sweden at about 1 year of age and an average annual dose of ~4000 IU kg−1 year−1,

there were about 2.5 joint bleeds over 5 years compared with prophylaxis starting at about 4.5 years in Netherlands with an average annual dose of ~2000 IU kg−1 year−1 but nearly 10 joint bleeds per PWH [25]. At 24 years of age, this resulted in slightly worse joint scores for patients in the Netherlands but no difference in activities. However, the total annual cost was 66% higher in Sweden. Extrapolated, this meant an extra US $91 000 for every bleed avoided. Selleckchem PI3K Inhibitor Library These are very important conclusions because it allows informed choices to be made. We must also recognize their limitations. The most striking issue is the age of starting prophylaxis which is a well-recognized predictor of long-term outcome [26]. If prophylaxis had been started earlier by about 2 years of age, would the outcome on the lower dose protocol have been the same? It is indeed possible that the differences selleck chemicals may have been even less

significant. If more centres had collected similar data, there would have been much more data on the correlation between different doses and outcomes. Better informed choices could have been made then regarding treatment options within the dose range used at these centres – about 1500–5000 IU kg−1 year−1. Therefore, the art of replacement therapy, even after 50 years of practicing it, is far from optimal. This needs to be addressed. It is obvious that the studies most needed are prospective comparisons between different prophylaxis protocols balancing as many variables as possible. While this is unlikely to find commercial sponsorship, why this has not being done with support from healthcare funds defies logic given the fact that >90% of the cost of care is for CFC. Healthcare providers as well as patients should support such studies so that the quality of care is more strongly grounded and therefore better protected. This is important not only for the developed countries in how they would practice prophylaxis but even more so for those developing countries that are now beginning to initiate prophylaxis programmes.