Objective:
People with hemophilia (PWH) commonly self-infuse at home, and can provide valuable insights into device attributes. While Novo Nordisk initially launched recombinant activated FVII (NovoSeven® RT) with vial adaptors, these were replaced with prefilled diluent syringe (MixPro®) in 2013; rFVIII (NovoEight®) launched with MixPro® in the US in 2015. This market research study assessed PWH and caregiver perceptions and preferences between MixPro® and vial adaptors (original device).
Methods:
A market research study was conducted in Fall 2014, comprising 30-minute face- to-face interviews. In total, 38 PWH (≥18 years) and 29 caregivers of children with hemophilia participated in the study, from Italy (n=20), Spain (n=20) and the US (n=27). Participants were eligible if they regularly home-infused replacement factor, and were excluded if they had ever used rFVIIa or were already familiar with MixPro®.
Summary:
The mean age of participants was 27 years. Most had hemophilia A (84%) with the remainder having hemophilia B (16%), more received prophylaxis (73%) than on demand (27%), and most received rFVIII (73%). Other participants were treated with FIX or plasma- derived FVIII. One PWH had inhibitors and was treated with activated prothrombin complex concentrate. MixPro® was clearly and consistently preferred over vial adaptors, both overall and based on key criteria. Overall, 96% were confident that they could use the system correctly, 73% thought it was intuitive to use, and 93% thought it was easy to learn. When asked to rank 18 defined benefits in order of importance, ‘low contamination risk’ was deemed the most important; the only criteria where MixPro® was not superior were related to verifying mixed factor had been drawn into the syringe. MixPro® was most associated with being: quick, easy, and convenient to use; portable; and overall user friendly. Caregivers placed more emphasis on a device being suitable for a person with less strength, while PWH were more interested in portability and convenience. Results were generally consistent across sub- populations: PWH vs caregivers, and those treated on demand vs prophylaxis.
Conclusions:
MixPro® demonstrated clear advantages over vial adaptors, based on feedback from PWH and caregivers, with respondents reporting it easy to learn and use, and confident they could use it correctly. The results affirm the importance of continuing to innovate on devices in collaboration with the hemophilia community.