Treatment Options

The mainstay of VWD treatment is the replacement of the deficient protein (VWF)¹

Drug/Type of Treatment	How Taken	Indicated for
Desmopressin acetate (synthetic hormone)²	Injection or nasal spray²	Most patients with type 1 and some with type 2A disease²; not indicated for patients with type 2B disease
Replacement therapy (concentrate of VWF and FVIII)²	Injection (IV)	Patients who cannot tolerate desmopressin (including patients with type 1 disease) or patients who need prolonged treatment² Patients with any variant of type 2 disease and patients with type 3 (severe) VWD²
Oral contraceptives (birth control pills)	By mouth	Women who have heavy menstrual bleeding²
Antifibrinolytic drugs (aminocaproic acid; tranexamic acid³)	Injection or by mouth³	VWD patients to stop bleeding following minor surgery, tooth extraction, or an injury²; can be used alone or with desmopressin and replacement therapy²
Depending on the type of von Willebrand disease, the severity of an injury, the severity of nose, menstrual, or post-childbirth bleeding, or the extent of a medical or dental procedure, the physician may prescribe one or more of these treatments.

Important Safety Information for desmopressin acetate
STIMATE^® Nasal Spray (desmopressin acetate) is contraindicated in individuals with a known hypersensitivity to desmopressin acetate or to any of the components of STIMATE^®. STIMATE^® should not be used in patients with type 2B von Willebrand disease since platelet aggregation may be induced.

Adverse reactions reported with use of injectable and/or intranasal desmopressin acetate include headache, nausea, somnolence, dizziness, chest pain, palpitations and tachycardia, water intoxication, hyponatremia, seizures possibly leading to coma, and severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. See full prescribing information for STIMATE^® Nasal Spray for a complete list.

Antihemophilic Factor/von Willebrand Factor Complex (Human), Dried, Pasteurized, Humate-P^® is indicated in adult patients for treatment and prevention of bleeding in hemophilia A (classical hemophilia). Humate-P^® is also indicated in adult and pediatric patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD) for (1) treatment of spontaneous and trauma-induced bleeding episodes, and (2) prevention of excessive bleeding during and after surgery. This applies to patients with severe VWD, and patients with mild and moderate VWD for whom use of desmopressin is known or suspected to be inadequate.

Humate-P^® is contraindicated in individuals with a history of anaphylactic or severe systemic response to antihemophilic factor or von Willebrand factor preparations or to any of its components.

Thromboembolic events have been reported in VWD patients receiving coagulation factor replacement, especially in the setting of known risk factors for thrombosis. Caution should be exercised and antithrombotic measures considered.

Humate-P^® is derived from human plasma. As with all plasma-derived products, the risk of transmission of infectious agents, including viruses and, theoretically, the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) agent, cannot be completely eliminated.

Although few adverse reactions have been reported the most common are allergic-anaphylactic reactions, including urticaria, chest tightness, rash, pruritus, edema, shock, chills and fever, and hypervolemia. For patients undergoing surgery, the most common adverse reactions are postoperative wound or injection-site bleeding.

The information provided herein is solely for use by physicians and healthcare professionals in the United States. The CSL Behring product listed may not have been approved in other countries and may not be available everywhere.