A new research study, which aims to improve treatments for people with severe haemophilia, has been announced.

Haemophilia is a group of inherited bleeding disorders that affect the blood's ability to form clots. It is caused by the lack of a key blood clotting protein, known as factor VIII. It predominantly affects men, and around one in every 4,000 males in Ireland has the condition

Those with severe haemophilia A have an increased risk of bleeding as they have less than 1% of the factor VIII levels usually seen in a person without haemophilia. Their treatment usually involves the regular administration of ‘replacement' factor VIII.

However, this new study by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is aiming to explore new treatments that can be tailored to the severity of each individual's condition.

"The aim of our study is to engineer new therapeutics with clotting properties that can be ‘tuned' to match the needs of each person being treated.

"We hope to develop treatments that can promote blood clotting with increased precision in order to improve the quality of life for people with haemophilia and other individuals at increased risk of bleeding," explained lead researcher, Dr Roger Preston, of the RCSI.

The study is being funded by a special project award of €200,000 from Bayer, as part of its Bayer Haemophilia Awards Programme, an international award programme that supports research into this condition.

*Pictured is Dr Roger Preston