Shire and partners launch Irish haemophilia study

Shire, the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), in collaboration with the Irish Haemophilia Society, have initiated a new study that aims to better personalise the care of haemophilia patients.

The Irish Personalised Approach to the Treatment of Haemophilia (iPATH) study will investigate new personalised treatment approaches by tailoring care based on the needs of individual patients, Shire said.

Patients in Ireland with haemophilia are registered at a single National Coagulation Centre where data on the use of factor concentrates and bleeding rates have already been collected, providing "a unique opportunity" to carry out a study aimed to increase understanding of the underlying biology of the condition.

The ultimate goal of the four-year study is to develop a personalised approach to hemophilia care that can then potentially be extended to the global haemophilia community.

"We need to begin developing innovative treatment strategies that can be tailored specifically according to the needs of each individual patient," said study lead Professor James O’Donnell, director of the Irish Centre for Vascular Biology, RCSI, and a consultant hematologist at the National Coagulation Center in St James’ Hospital, Dublin.

"To achieve this objective, we first need to understand the biological mechanisms that underpin the marked differences in bleeding risks and long-term complications that exist between individual patients with hemophilia. By understanding these mechanisms, the iPATH study could potentially pave the way for the introduction of personalized medicine for patients with hemophilia."