octocog alfa at a glance
Medicine class
Recombinant coagulation factor VIII
Main role
Treatment and prevention of bleeding in haemophilia A
How it is given
Injection into a vein, by a professional or a trained patient or carer
Important monitoring
Factor VIII activity, bleeding control and development of factor VIII inhibitors
What is octocog alfa used for?
In the selected UK product licence, octocog alfa is indicated for people of all ages with haemophilia A.
Treating bleeding caused by congenital factor VIII deficiency
Preventing bleeding in congenital factor VIII deficiency
Supporting haemostasis around surgery in people with haemophilia A
How does octocog alfa work?
Factor VIII normally helps activated factor IX activate factor X, leading to thrombin and a stable fibrin clot. Octocog alfa replaces deficient factor VIII and temporarily improves the blood's ability to clot.
octocog alfa preparations and strengths
Injection
Route: Parenteral
Strengths: 250 units, 500 units, 1000 units, 1500 units, 2000 units, 3000 units
How to take octocog alfa
Octocog alfa is injected into a vein after the powder has been mixed with the supplied sterile water. Self-administration requires training from the haemophilia team.
Use only the solvent and preparation device supplied with the pack.
Use aseptic technique and gently swirl rather than shake.
Check that the prepared solution is clear, colourless and free from particles; do not use a cloudy or incompletely dissolved solution.
Do not mix it with other medicines.
Use the prepared solution promptly and do not refrigerate it after mixing.
Record the product name and batch number after each administration.
octocog alfa side effects
Common or expected effects
- Headache
- Fever
Get urgent medical advice
- A severe allergic reaction, with breathing difficulty, chest tightness, swelling, widespread hives, severe dizziness or fainting
- Factor VIII inhibitors, which may show as persistent bleeding or reduced treatment effect
- Infection or a blood clot associated with a central venous access device
octocog alfa in pregnancy
Experience with factor VIII treatment during pregnancy is limited. Octocog alfa should be used only when clearly indicated, with decisions coordinated by haemophilia and maternity specialists because inherited bleeding disorders require individual pregnancy and delivery planning.
octocog alfa while breastfeeding
Evidence during breastfeeding is limited. Octocog alfa should be used only when clearly indicated, after discussion with the haemophilia specialist or prescriber.
octocog alfa interactions
No interactions between recombinant factor VIII products and other medicines have been reported. However, compatibility studies are lacking, so octocog alfa must not be mixed with other medicines in the same preparation.
Common questions about octocog alfa
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
What is octocog alfa used for?
It treats and prevents bleeding in people of all ages with haemophilia A, an inherited deficiency of factor VIII.
Is octocog alfa made from donated blood?
No. It is recombinant factor VIII made using cell-culture technology rather than extracted from donated human plasma.
How is octocog alfa given?
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.