Efficacy and safety of prophylaxis and treatment of bleeding events with a novel fibrinogen concentrate from human plasma in patients with congenital fibrinogen deficiency

BACKGROUND: Congenital fibrinogen deficiency is a rare inherited coagulation disorder characterized by partial or total lack of plasma fibrinogen (hypo- or afibrinogenemia), or expression of dysfunctional fibrinogen (dysfibrinogenemia), which may cause plasma level reduction (hypodysfibrinogenemia). Loss of functional fibrinogen causes bleeding disposition. In case of trauma or surgical intervention, supplementation of human fibrinogen is required to stop or prevent extensive bleeding events. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective, open-label, uncontrolled, multi-center phase I/III trial was performed to investigate pharmacokinetics, efficacy and safety of single and/or repetitive intravenous infusions of a human fibrinogen concentrate (BT524) for on-demand prophylaxis (ODP) and/or on-demand treatment (ODT) of bleeding events in patients with congenital fibrinogen deficiency. PATIENTS: In the phase III part of the trial reported here, 36 patients (3 children <6 years, 9 children 6-12 years, 4 adolescents and 20 adults) were treated with BT524 for 175 bleeding events, either for ODP or ODT. RESULTS: Fibrinogen concentrate infusion substantially improved maximum clot firmness (MCF). The overall hemostatic response was rated as good or excellent in 98.9% of bleedings. Loss of blood was considered normal in the majority of surgical interventions, and wound healing was also positively assessed. Additional evaluations, including blood product consumption and adverse events, further supported the efficacy and confirmed the favorable safety profile of the novel fibrinogen product. CONCLUSION: BT524 represents a novel human fibrinogen concentrate provenly efficacious and safe both for the treatment of bleeding and for peri-operative bleeding prophylaxis in patients with congenital fibrinogen deficiency of all ages.