Recombinant biologics for treatment of bleeding disorders

Bleeding disorders and haemorrhage cause considerable morbidity and mortality in the industrialized world, as shown by the more than 2 million patients who received treatment for serious blood loss in 2002. Historically, these disorders have been treated with products derived from human plasma or animal sources. With the advent of recombinant technologies, new products have been developed that are generally perceived as safer and which have well-defined specificity of action and potency. Recombinant biologics have also provided some unforeseen benefits, yielding new insights into the mechanism of haemostasis as well as novel pharmacological strategies.