Introduction

Damoctocog alfa pegol (trade name: Jivi) has been approved in Germany since November 2018 for the treatment and prevention of hemophilia A in people from 12 years of age who have had treatment before.

Hemophilia is an inherited disorder that affects the blood's ability to clot. Blood contains several components which cause it to clot following an injury in order to prevent blood loss. These components include a number of proteins called clotting factors. If some of these clotting factors are missing, the blood will clot more slowly or won’t clot at all. As a result, even small cuts can lead to quite a lot of blood loss.

There are different types of hemophilia, each caused by the lack of a different clotting factor. In hemophilia A, the gene responsible for the production of factor VIII (antihemophilic factor) is defective.

Depending on how severe the disease is, a substitute for clotting factor VIII is needed in order to improve blood clotting. This clotting factor can either be extracted from human blood or manufactured using biotechnology.

Damoctocog alfa pegol is a substitute for factor VIII that is manufactured using biotechnology. It can be used for the treatment or prevention of bleeding, for instance before a tooth extraction or surgery.

Application

Damoctocog alfa pegol is injected into a vein over 2 to 5 minutes. The dose of the drug and duration of treatment will depend on several factors, including the patient's weight and the severity of the condition. The degree of the bleeding and the kind of surgery that is planned will play a role too.

Other treatments

For decades now, a number of medications with blood clotting factor VIII have been available for the treatment and prevention of bleeding in people with hemophilia A who have had treatment before. These medications can be made from donated blood or manufactured artificially using genetically modified microorganisms or cell cultures.

Assessment

the advantages and disadvantages of damoctocog alfa pegol compared with the standard treatments for people with hemophilia A who have had treatment before.

But the manufacturer didn’t provide any suitable data with which to do the assessment.

More information

This information summarizes the main results of a review produced by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG, Germany). The review was commissioned by the German Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) as part of the “early benefit assessment of medications.” On the basis of the review and the hearings received, the G-BA passed a resolution on the added benefit of damoctocog alfa pegol (Jivi).

Sources

• Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG, Germany). Damoctocog alfa pegol – Benefit assessment according to §35a Social Code Book V. Dossier assessment; Commission A18-86. March 27, 2019. (IQWiG reports; Volume 745).

• IQWiG health information is written with the aim of helping people understand the advantages and disadvantages of the main treatment options and health care services.

  Because IQWiG is a German institute, some of the information provided here is specific to the German health care system. The suitability of any of the described options in an individual case can be determined by talking to a doctor. We do not offer individual consultations.

  Our information is based on the results of good-quality studies. It is written by a team of health care professionals, scientists and editors, and reviewed by external experts. You can find a detailed description of how our health information is produced and updated in our methods.