Frequently asked
questions

Once you or the person who looks after you has been trained, you should be able to inject Hemlibra at home, by yourself or with their help. Tell your doctor or nurse if you are not confident with performing subcutaneous injections.

Watch a handy video which shows you how to inject Hemlibra, or view a guide on how to administer Hemlibra using the PARIS technique.

Inspect each vial before use. Do not use if they appear damaged, the cap covering the stopper is missing or if they have been dropped. Before using Hemlibra, check the solution for particles or discolouration. The solution should be colourless to slightly yellow. Do not use if it is cloudy, hazy, discoloured or contains visible particles. Contact your haemophilia centre and provide the batch details of the affected vial. Keep the vial in the correct storage conditions as you may need to return it the next time you attend your centre.

Hemlibra is quite a thick liquid. If you are performing your own injections, at first you might find it difficult to get it into the syringe. Talk to your doctor, nurse or the person who looks after you and they can help you if you are struggling.

No. Once the syringe has been filled with Hemlibra, the injection must be given immediately. Do not refrigerate the syringe with Hemlibra in it.

Everything should be placed in a sharps bin once used. Make sure you use new items for each injection and dispose of them after a single use.

No. Only use the vial once. After you inject your dose, throw away any unused Hemlibra left in the vial into the sharps bin.

Different Hemlibra concentrations (30 mg/mL and 150 mg/mL) should not be combined in a single injection when making up the total volume to be injected.

This is a very common side effect that some people get with Hemlibra. Make sure that you change the area that you are using after each injection. If you have signs of redness, itching or soreness tell your doctor or nurse.

View a guide on how to administer Hemlibra using the PARIS technique, which details rotating injection sites.

Your regular haemophilia team, including your nurse and GP, will be told when you change medications. If you are using HealthID or have a MedicAlert bracelet or necklace, remember to update your details. It is up to you whether you want to tell your friends, family or a teacher about your treatment, but it may help to talk to people that are close to you so they can support you.

There is a booklet that can be passed on to your school which can help your teachers understand more about haemophilia A and how to support you. Ask your haemophilia care team to help you get hold of this.

Hemlibra is intended for long-term treatment. Usually you will continue taking Hemlibra as long as you and your haemophilia team are happy with how your treatment is going. Some people have taken Hemlibra for over seven years.

No, If you think that you are having a bleed, do not take extra Hemlibra. The person who looks after you might take you to see your doctor or nurse about your pain.

Even though it is good news that you haven’t had a bleed in a while, you still need to keep taking Hemlibra so you have a better chance of continuing to prevent bleeds in the future. Do not stop taking Hemlibra without talking to your doctor or nurse.

Make sure you do not stop taking Hemlibra without talking to your doctor or nurse.

There have not been any studies to specifically test how Hemlibra interacts with other medications. If you have been taking factor VIII as prophylaxis, you might continue this for up to 7 days after starting Hemlibra.

Unlike you, some people who take Hemlibra have inhibitors to factor VIII (ask your doctor or nurse to explain this if necessary). They might use different treatments called bypassing agents to help manage their haemophilia A. Bypassing agents must be stopped the day before starting Hemlibra. One bypassing agent, called activated prothrombin complex concentrate (aPCC), should be avoided unless no other treatment option is available. This is because it has been shown to interact with Hemlibra, which can cause serious side effects. The package leaflet contained in the box with your medicine, the guide for patients/carers and patient alert card all include additional information.

Remember – you do not have inhibitors to factor VIII so it is very unlikely you will need to use bypassing agents.

If you forget your scheduled injection, inject the forgotten dose as soon as possible, up to the day before the day of the next scheduled dose. Then, inject Hemlibra as scheduled. Do not inject two doses on the same day to make up for a forgotten dose. If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or nurse.

Hemlibra needs to stay pretty cool – store your Hemlibra vials in your fridge (2°C to 8°C) in the original box. Do not freeze Hemlibra and do not shake the vials. Remember to check the expiry date written on the side of the box and on the vial label (the date refers to the last day of the month).

Once removed from the fridge, unopened vials can be kept at room temperature (below 30°C) for a total of 7 days. Discard any vial that has been kept at room temperature for more than 7 days or that has been in temperatures above 30°C.

No. You must only take Hemlibra as prophylaxis regularly, as your doctor or nurse told you to. When Hemlibra was tested, people had stable levels of Hemlibra in their blood for the whole time between injections.

When you have haemophilia A, it’s really helpful to stay active when you can. When taking Hemlibra, you can carry on with the hobbies and sports that you usually enjoy. Talk to your doctor or nurse first if you want to try any new activities.¹

Reference: 1. Srivastava A, et al. Haemophilia. 2013;19:e1–47.

You do not need to change your diet when you are taking Hemlibra, but it is important for anyone with haemophilia A to try to be as healthy as possible; eat well and make sure you drink plenty of water. You can find lots of information about staying healthy with haemophilia A from places like The Haemophilia Society or the World Federation of Hemophilia.

Hemlibra can remain out of the fridge for up to 7 days, but you should store your Hemlibra vials in a fridge if possible, even when travelling. Remember to also take your injection supplies and sharps bin with you to safely dispose of your used syringes, needles and vials. If you are travelling by aeroplane, talk to your doctor or nurse as they may give you a letter to give to the airline. If you are on a long flight, the airline may be able to store your medication in a fridge. You should carry your Hemlibra vials with you in your hand luggage so that they are not damaged during the flight. Remember, you may need to also carry factor VIII replacement therapy, in case you have a bleed whilst away. Check with your doctor or nurse on how to carry this.