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When he was six months old, Seth was diagnosed with hemophilia A and cancer at the same time. “My parents had never heard of hemophilia and they reacted very negatively. Their attention was focused on cancer surgery and chemo – they thought the hemophilia could wait. But of course, they had to deal with the hemophilia in order to proceed with the surgery. It was a terrible, whirlwind day for them.” From the outset, Seth was treated with a FVIII recombinant therapy prophylactically. At 11 months old, Seth had a second bout with cancer and returned to the hospital for another surgery, during which his spinal cord was accidentally cut. As a result, although now cancer–free, Seth has been a T2 paraplegic since the age of one, using a manual wheelchair for mobility. But Seth hasn't let hemophilia or paraplegia slow him down. “I believe that obstacles are just speed bumps in the path of life. It may take a little bit of extra effort to maneuver over them, but they should never be a roadblock. Put forth your maximum effort and think positive, and good things will come of it.” And that's just what he did.
As a child, treatment decisions of all kinds were left to his parents and his medical team. By age 11 he was handling his own infusions. He always took adherence very seriously. “I was really getting into sports and I needed to stay as healthy as possible. I had to make a deal with my Hemophilia Treatment Center that I could only play sports if I was compliant and maintained constant treatment. That was all the motivation I needed.” In college Seth transitioned to managing his own treatment. “It can be difficult for college students – suddenly managing your own product ordering and infusion scheduling while juggling classes, extracurricular activities, and friends. I was earning a bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Biomedical Engineering at the University of Central Florida, and I was very busy. In my freshman year I had more breakthrough bleeding than in the past. By my sophomore year I knuckled down and made treatment management and compliance priorities.” In 2015 he became interested in NUWIQ®. He knew that it was at the forefront of new factors coming out and derived from a human cell line, which seemed more natural to him. He wanted to take fewer doses every week and believed that NUWIQ would allow him to drop from three to two. And he was changing his health insurance so he would be changing product shortly anyway. “It was a good move for me and I'm very happy with my current regimen. Plus, I love being a Patient Educator for Octapharma.”
Seth has always been determined to lead an active and healthy life despite his childhood diagnosis. An avid sports enthusiast, Seth is a Team USA Paralympic bronze medalist and plays for the Denver Rolling Nuggets basketball team as part of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA). He also coaches the Denver Jr. Rolling Nuggets team. Never one to take “no” for an answer, Seth has learned how to team up with his health care providers to proactively manage prophylactic treatments in order to stay healthy and ready to compete in demanding team sports, to pursue his career as a New Product Engineer for a medical device manufacturer, and to serve as a Patient Educator for Octapharma.
As an Octapharma Patient Educator, Seth meets with individuals and groups, participates in events, and makes several presentations a year. His specific areas of interest are how to rise to life's challenges, turning “you can't” into “you can”, developing a great support system along the way, providing the tools and resources needed to live an active life regardless of situation, and teaching “drills and skills” for the bleeding disorders community, combining basketball and games with the importance of maintaining a solid health care regimen. “I help people understand that they can have just as good a life as anyone. It is a matter of seeing beyond limitations.”
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Indications and Important Safety Information for NUWIQ® [Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant)].
Please see NUWIQ full Prescribing Information. Instructions For Use
Indications and Usage
NUWIQ® is a recombinant antihemophilic factor [coagulation factor VIII (Factor VIII)] indicated in adults and children with Hemophilia A for on-demand treatment and control of bleeding episodes, perioperative management of bleeding, and routine prophylaxis to reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes. NUWIQ® is not indicated for the treatment of von Willebrand Disease.
Contraindications
NUWIQ is contraindicated in patients who have manifested life-threatening hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, to the product or its components.
Warnings and Precautions
Hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, are possible with NUWIQ. Early signs of hypersensitivity reactions that can progress to anaphylaxis may include angioedema, chest tightness, dyspnea, wheezing, urticaria, or pruritus. Immediately discontinue administration and initiate appropriate treatment if hypersensitivity reactions occur.
The formation of neutralizing antibodies (inhibitors) to Factor VIII can occur following the administration of NUWIQ. Monitor all patients for the development of Factor VIII inhibitors by appropriate clinical observations and laboratory tests. If the plasma Factor VIII level fails to increase as expected, or if bleeding is not controlled after NUWIQ administration, suspect the presence of an inhibitor (neutralizing antibody).
Adverse Reactions
The most frequently occurring adverse reactions (>0.5%) in clinical trials were paresthesia, headache, injection site inflammation, injection site pain, non-neutralizing anti-Factor VIII antibody formation, back pain, vertigo, and dry mouth.
Please see NUWIQ full Prescribing Information. Instructions For Use
Indications and Important Safety Information for wilate® [von Willebrand Factor/Coagulation Factor VIII Complex (Human)].
Please see wilate full Prescribing Information.
Indications
wilate® is a von Willebrand Factor/Coagulation Factor VIII Complex (Human) indicated in children and adults with von Willebrand disease for on-demand treatment and control of bleeding episodes and for perioperative management of bleeding. wilate is also indicated in adolescents and adults with hemophilia A for routine prophylaxis to reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes; and for on-demand treatment and control of bleeding episodes.
Contraindications
wilate® is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylactic or severe systemic reactions, to human plasma-derived products, any ingredient in the formulation, or components of the container.
Warnings and Precautions
Hypersensitivity Reactions
Hypersensitivity reactions may occur with wilate®. Signs and symptoms include angioedema, burning and stinging at the infusion site, chills, flushing, generalized urticaria, headache, hives, hypotension, lethargy, nausea, restlessness, tachycardia, tightness of the chest, tingling, vomiting, and wheezing that may progress to severe anaphylaxis (including shock) with or without fever. Closely monitor patients receiving wilate® and observe for any symptoms throughout the infusion period.
Because inhibitor antibodies may occur concomitantly with anaphylactic reactions, evaluate patients experiencing an anaphylactic reaction for the presence of inhibitors
Neutralizing Antibodies
VWD
Hemophilia A
Transmissible Infectious Agents
wilate® is made from human plasma. Because this product is made from human blood, it may carry a risk of transmitting infectious agents, e.g., viruses, and theoretically, the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) agent. There is also the possibility that unknown infectious agents may be present in the product. The risk that wilate® will transmit viruses has been reduced by screening plasma donors for prior exposure to certain viruses, by testing for the presence of certain current virus infections, and by inactivating and removing certain viruses during manufacture. Despite these measures, it may still potentially transmit disease.
Record the batch number of the product every time wilate® is administered to a patient, and consider appropriate vaccination (against hepatitis A and B virus) of patients in regular/repeated receipt of wilate®. ALL infections thought by a physician possibly to have been transmitted by this product should be reported by the physician or other healthcare provider to Octapharma USA, Inc., at 1-866-766-4860.
Monitoring and Laboratory Tests
Adverse Reactions
The most common adverse reactions to treatment with wilate (≥ 1%) in patients with VWD were hypersensitivity reactions, urticaria, and dizziness. The most common adverse reactions to treatment with wilate (≥ 1%) in previously treated patients with hemophilia A was pyrexia (fever).
Please see wilate full Prescribing Information.
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