Moroctocog alfa (trade name ReFacto in the EU) is a recombinant antihemophilic factor genetically engineered from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line. Chemically it is a glycoprotein. It is manufactured by Genetics Institute, Inc. and used to control and prevent hemorrhagic bleeding and prophylaxis associated with surgery or to reduce the number of spontaneous bleeding episodes in patients with

hemophilia A Haemophilia A (or hemophilia A) is a genetic deficiency in clotting factor VIII, which causes increased bleeding and usually affects males. In the majority of cases it is inherited as an X-linked recessive trait, though there are cases which aris ...

. It is partially a recombinant coagulation

factor VIII Factor VIII (FVIII) is an essential blood-clotting protein, also known as anti-hemophilic factor (AHF). In humans, factor VIII is encoded by the ''F8'' gene. Defects in this gene result in hemophilia A, a recessive X-linked coagulation disorder ...

since it has an amino acid sequence which compares to the 90 + 80 kDa form of factor VIII (BDDrFVIII). It also has

posttranslational modification Post-translational modification (PTM) is the covalent and generally enzymatic modification of proteins following protein biosynthesis. This process occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum and the golgi apparatus. Proteins are synthesized by ribo ...

s which are similar to those of the plasma-derived molecule. It can not prevent hemorrhagic bleeding associated with

von Willebrand's disease Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is the most common hereditary blood-clotting disorder in humans. An acquired form can sometimes result from other medical conditions. It arises from a deficiency in the quality or quantity of von Willebrand factor ...

since it is not a

von Willebrand factor Von Willebrand factor (VWF) () is a blood glycoprotein involved in hemostasis, specifically, platelet adhesion. It is deficient and/or defective in von Willebrand disease and is involved in many other diseases, including thrombotic thrombocytope ...

. The most common side effects include headache, cough, pain in the joints and fever. People may also develop antibodies against factor VIII medicines such as moroctocog alfa. These are known as inhibitors as they can prevent the medicine from working effectively, which may result in a loss of bleeding control. Uncommonly, people may also develop allergic reactions. People with haemophilia A lack factor VIII, a protein needed for normal clotting of the blood, and as a result, they bleed readily and may have problems, such as bleeding in the joints, muscles and internal organs. Moroctocog alfa works in the body in the same way as human factor VIII. It replaces the missing factor VIII, thereby helping the blood to clot and giving temporary control of bleeding. The human coagulation factor VIII in moroctocog alfa is not extracted from human blood but is produced by a method known as 'recombinant DNA technology': it is made by a cell that has received a gene (DNA), which makes it able to produce human coagulation factor VIII.

Medical uses

Moroctocog alfa is indicated for the treatment and prophylaxis of bleeding in people with haemophilia A (congenital factor-VIII deficiency). It is appropriate for use in adults and children of all ages, including newborns. It does not contain von-Willebrand factor, and hence is not indicated in von-Willebrand's disease.

History

Moroctocog alfa was approved for medical use in the European Union in April 1999, and sold under the brand name Refacto. In February 2009, a number of changes to the way ReFacto is made were introduced. These included removal of the use of a protein called albumin, which is produced from human blood, from the manufacturing process. The name of the medicine was also changed from ReFacto to ReFacto AF.

References

External links

* {{Portal bar , Medicine Recombinant proteins