BeneFix® [Coagulation Factor IX (recombinant)] is a recombinant clotting factor IX that temporarily replaces the factor IX that is missing or at very low levels.
How it works
Inside the blood vessel are special proteins that become active when they are needed to form a clot. Let’s take a closer look at how these proteins called "clotting factors" work. The process starts when clotting factors are turned on or "activated." Each factor in the chain activates another, like falling dominoes. In people who don’t have hemophilia, this quickly leads to the activation of 2 very important clotting factors—factor VIII and factor IX. Factors VIII and IX bind together to activate factor X, which has a critical role in clotting. In people who have hemophilia B, factor IX is either missing or at very low levels. The level of factor IX is so low that it cannot bind with factor VIII to activate factor X.
Without factor IX, the rest of the clotting process cannot continue. After using BeneFix, clotting factor VIII binds with BeneFix and they work together to activate clotting factor IX. The clotting process begins to work normally, resulting in the formation of a blood clot. Once the bleeding is stopped, the clotting proteins return to normal, allowing the blood to flow normally and the body to heal.
