Ironically, the advent of concentrates in the mid 60’s that allowed individuals with hemophilia more autonomy to live normal lives, also infected many of them with several blood-borne viruses.

During this time, manufacturers made factor VIII and IX economically feasible by making the concentrates from pools of 2,000 to 30,000 units of plasma. Unfortunately, these concentrates were not treated to inactivate viruses. Because of this, users of concentrate ran a high risk of being infected by blood-borne viruses.

In the mid to late 60’s, hepatitis B and hepatitis C were the first viruses to appear in the blood supply, inadvertently infecting many individuals with hemophilia. By the late 1970’s the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), appeared in the blood supply, adding a whole new element to contend with. Unfortunately, HIV tests were not readily available until early 1985. As a result, the a large number of individuals with severe hemophilia who infused factor concentrate between 1978 and 1985 were infected with HIV.

Fortunately, today’s monoclonal factor concentrates are highly purified and treated to inactivate viruses and recombinant is available. For young people with hemophilia born since 1986, treatment with monoclonal purified concentrates and recombinant products has all but eliminated many of the common complications associated with preceding versions of concentrates. Although no blood product is guaranteed to be 100% safe, there have been no cases of HIV infection since viral inactivation procedures were instituted in 1985.