Italy prepares to play a pioneering role in the fight against haemophilia. In addition to the ISTH (International Society in Thrombosis and Haemostasis) Congress, which will be held in Milan in 2020, Italy is also preparing to host the Joint Meeting that will take place in Genoa between the 6 and 8 September 2019.
The Joint Meeting is the ideal opportunity to stage two important international events simultaneously: the 10th edition of the BIC (Bari International Conference) and the 3rd International Conference on Inhibitors in Haemophilia, both chaired by Dr Flora Peyvandi.
The purpose of the event is to get the best from both conferences and to present the most recent progress achieved in the different areas of research, including haemophilia and von Willebrand factor, with a special focus on factor VIII inhibitors.
Over the three days of the Joint Meeting, a large number of sector experts will present their most recent data and will illustrate their findings regarding current scientific developments. Sponsor companies will also have the chance to share their key projects with the public.
For further details regarding the programme, visit: https://bic2019.org/
More specifically, we would like to draw attention to some of the presentations that will take place on Friday 6 September regarding current topics such as the latest discoveries concerning the multiple roles played by factor VIII not merely in the clotting process, but also in maintaining the body’s general health. Discussions will also focus on the importance of the synergy between factor VIII and von Willebrand factor, whose presence would appear to be crucial for both correct factor VIII function and preventing the development of inhibitors.
This will be followed, on Saturday 7 September, by a number of presentations concerning the eradication of inhibitors using ITI (Immune Tolerance Induction) therapy, during which speakers will also discuss the primary role that this treatment strategy continues to play, especially in the light of the most novel therapy options.
Below is a list of the events indicated above and their times:
Friday 6 September
10.00 a.m.
How safety of novel anti-hemophilic drugs should be approached. Known and unknown adverse effects
Flora Peyvandi (Italy)
1.00 p.m.
Advances driven by evolution: investigating the role of FVIII in coagulation and beyond
Hermann Eichler (Germany)
3.00 p.m.
VWF and FVIII: An Unending Love Affair
Prasad Mathew (USA) & Maria Elisa Mancuso (Italy)
This event can be streamed from eightfactor.com.
4.30 p.m.
FVIII peptide presentation to the immune system; modulation by von Willebrand factor
Jan Voorberg (Netherlands)
5.30 p.m.
High von Willebrand factor affinity FVIII and immunogenicity
Peter Lenting (France)
Saturday 7 September
1.00 p.m.
Immune tolerance induction in haemophilia A – challenges, experience and future approaches
Carmen Escuriola (Germany)
4.30 p.m.
How to maintain tolerance in hemophilia A
Sébastien Lacroix-Desmazes (France)
5.00 p.m.
How to induce Treg responses in experimental hemophilia A
Naro Biswas (USA)
5.30 p.m.
Is it important to induce immune tolerance in the era of non-replacement therapies?
Elena Santagostino (Italy)
