Q. What is hemophilia market research?
A. Hemophilia market research is focused on the specialized area of the rare genetic disorder factor VIII deficiency (or hemophilia A), so the research is typically focused on critical treatments which are a important part of life for these patients since they commonly experience bleeding episodes.
Note that there is also a less-common form of hemophilia caused by the deficiency of factor IX, which is classified as hemophilia B (or occasionally called “Christmas disease”).
For the market researcher these projects are similar in many ways to other healthcare market research projects, but the treatments are a chronic necessity for patients and specialized hemophilia treatment centers (HTCs) are an important component of care for these patients.
In hemophilia there are different “generations” of treatments available, so it is important to know and understand the various types and groups of therapies. Gene therapy is also in development, which will ultimately have a big impact on this treatment area.
Recruiting for hemophilia market research requires experience and expertise to find appropriate patients since they fit into the category of having a rare disease.
Parents of hemophilia patients are generally quite involved in treatment decisions until children are in their late teens, at which point they may take control over their own therapy decisions.
For the physicians who treat hemophilia this is generally an area of expertise within hematology, so HTC affiliation can be an important screening criteria for consideration.
The range of hemophilia market research projects runs the typical gamut of studies that would be expected for any pharmaceutical product.