Home / Community News / Hemlibra approved for all those with severe hemophilia A in Quebec – Access starts April 1

Hemlibra approved for all those with severe hemophilia A in Quebec – Access starts April 1

| 01/03/2022

by David Page, CHS National Director of Health Policy

March 1, 2022, Montréal – The Canadian Hemophilia Society (CHS) was informed yesterday by Héma-Québec that access to Hemlibra (emicizumab) will be expanded to include all those with severe hemophilia A without inhibitors, with no age restrictions, as of April 1, 2022. Hemlibra has been available to those with factor VIII inhibitors since June 2019 and to children four years of age and younger since September 2021. In the rest of Canada, access for those with severe hemophilia A began in October 2021.

Hemlibra is …

… is a monoclonal antibody that performs the same function as factor VIII, the natural protein missing in the blood of people with hemophilia A, which in different forms has been the routine treatment for the last 70 years.

… maintains a constant clotting level equivalent to a factor VIII level of approximately 15%.

… is injected subcutaneously (under the skin) rather than intravenously (into a vein), like factor VIII.

… is administered just once a week or less, compared to 2 to 7 times per week for factor VIII.

… can only be used to prevent bleeding (prophylaxis). In the event of an active bleed needing treatment, factor VIII is infused.

On behalf of the hemophilia A community in Quebec, the CHS would like to thank all those who lent their voices to our efforts to add this innovative therapy to the range of FVIII coagulation products. We would also like to thank all the health officials who worked so hard to make it available in Quebec.

The CHS encourages patients/caregivers interested in considering Hemlibra for prophylactic care to contact their treatment centre. While supplies of Hemlibra will be available as of April 1, transition will be gradual. Treatment centres will schedule appointments in consideration of:

  • the urgency to switch for each individual;
  • their capacity to meet patients/families to educate and train them on this new therapy;
  • factor VIII inventories in people’s homes.