As a hemophilia A patient or caregiver, the ability to track factor VIII levels allows you to prepare for physical activity. Understanding your unique pharmacokinetics (PK) profile helps remove the guesswork in monitoring your factor and ensure your treatment plan is right for your needs.
PK stands for pharmacokinetics, which is the study of a drug’s activity in the body over a period of time. Doctors use specific testing and mathematical models to define your personalized PK profile and determine the right dose of factor and infusion frequency for you.
As a person with hemophilia A, your PK profile represents the level of factor in your blood and keeping an eye on it helps you plan ahead. Depending on the intensity of planned physical activities, a panel of physicians identified mean, minimum, and ideal factor levels required for patients to participate in those activities.i The ability to estimate your factor levels anytime, or anticipate what they’ll be in the future, can provide clarity for you and your doctor on choosing an infusion schedule.ii,iii
myWAPPS is a mobile app that enables you to view your real-time factor level estimates any time, online or offline, based on your personalized PK profile.iv With myWAPPS you can monitor current and estimated future levels, receive reminders when it is time for an infusion, and get notifications when factor levels drop to the low zone.
Get started using myWAPPs with three simple steps.
| 1. First, contact your doctor. Your doctor will ask to draw a few blood samples after an infusion and build your PK profile online using WAPPs-Hemo (Web Accessible Population Pharmacokinetics Service). WAPPS-Hemo will be used to define your personalized therapy and help optimize your treatment plan. All you’ll need to do is provide your doctor with the email you plan to use for myWAPPS. |  |
| 2. As a next step, your doctor will activate your myWAPPS account and link to your personalized PK information in WAPPS-Hemo. You’ll receive an email with a link to complete your myWAPPS registration and set up your password. |  |
| 3. Finally, download myWAPPS from the App Store or Google Play and log in with your email and newly created password. Register your last infusion and read your current factor level: Now you are all set! Together with your doctor, you are ready to personalize your treatment. |  |
To use myWAPPS to estimate your factor level, record each infusion as they are performed. When your next infusion is due, myWAPPS will send you a reminder. You can also use the app to see your estimated future factor levels – when they’re going to be mid-range, low, and when you should infuse again.
myWAPPS allows you to understand your or a loved one’s factor levels. Talk to your physician about obtaining your PK profile and getting set up with myWAPPS. To learn more about PK and myWAPPS, visit LivingWithHemophilia.com.
i Martin, AP, Burke, T, Asghar, S, Noone, D, Pedra, G, O'Hara, J. Understanding minimum and ideal factor levels for participation in physical activities by people with haemophilia: An expert elicitation exercise. Haemophilia. 2020; 26: 711– 717. https://doi.org/10.1111/hae.13985
ii Hajducek DM, Chelle P, Hermans C, et al. Development and evaluation of the population pharmacokinetic models for FVIII and FIX concentrates of the WAPPS-Hemo project. Haemophilia. 2020;26:384–400. https://doi.org/10.1111/hae.13977
iii Stemberger M, Kallenbach F, Schmit E, McEneny-King A, Germini F, Yeung CHT, Edginton AN, von Mackensen S, Kurnik K, Iorio A. Impact of Adopting Population Pharmacokinetics for Tailoring Prophylaxis in Haemophilia A Patients: A Historically Controlled Observational Study. Thromb Haemost. 2019 Mar;119(3):368-376. doi: 10.1055/s-0039-1677700. Epub 2019 Jan 27. PMID: 30685872.
iv Croteau SE, Wheeler AP, Khan O, et al. Pharmacokinetic-tailored approach to hemophilia prophylaxis: Medical decision making and outcomes. Res Pract Thromb Haemost. 2020;00:1–8. https://doi.org/10.1002/rth2.12305