Products
Vonicog alfa was approved in the United States in 2015 and in the EU and Switzerland in 2018 as a lyophilizate and solvent for the preparation of a solution for injection (Veyvondi, USA: Vonvendi). It was the first recombinant von Willebrand factor.
Structure and properties
Vonicog alfa is a purified, recombinant, human von Willebrand factor (rVWF) produced by biotechnological methods in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. VWF is a glycoprotein found in blood plasma and is involved in blood clotting.
Effects
Vonicog alfa (ATC B02BD10) replaces von Willebrand factor, which is absent in the disease, allowing normal blood clotting.
Indications
For the treatment of bleeding or surgery-related hemorrhage in von Willebrand disease when therapy with desmopressin (DDAVP) alone is ineffective or contraindicated.
Dosage
According to the SmPC. The drug is infused intravenously.
Contraindications
- Hypersensitivity
- Known allergic reaction to mouse or hamster proteins.
Full precautions can be found in the drug label.
Interactions
Drug-drug interactions are not known.
Adverse effects
The most common possible adverse effects include itching, vomiting, drowsiness, and dizziness.
