Use of factor VIIa or factor VIIa equivalents for preventing or attenuating haemorrhage growth, and/or oedema generation following intracerebral haemorrhage
The invention relates to the use of Factor VIIa or a Factor VIIa equivalent for the manufacture of a medicament for preventing complications in ICH patients.
1 . A method for preventing or attenuating one or more complications of intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), said method comprising administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount for said preventing or attenuating of a first coagulation agent comprising Factor VIIa or a Factor VIIa equivalent.
2 . A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said patient has experienced spontaneous or traumatic ICH.
3 . A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said effective amount comprises at least about 40 μg/kg of said Factor VIIa or Factor VIIa equivalent.
4 . A method as defined in claim 3 , wherein said effective amount comprises at least about 80 μg/kg of said Factor VIIa or Factor VIIa equivalent.
5 . A method as defined in claim 4 , wherein said effective amount comprises at least about 120 μg/kg of said Factor VIIa or Factor VIIa equivalent.
6 . A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said administering is carried out within about 24 hours of the occurrence of the ICH.
7 . A method as defined in claim 6 , wherein said administering is carried out within about 4 hours of the occurrence of the ICH.
8 . A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising administering to the patient a second coagulation agent, wherein the amounts of said first and second coagulation agents together are effective in said preventing or attenuating.
9 . A method as defined in claim 8 , wherein the second coagulation agent is a coagulation factor.
10 . A method as defined in claim 9 , wherein said second coagulation agent is selected from the group consisting of: Factor VIII, Factor IX, Factor V, Factor XI, Factor XIII, a Factor VII or Factor VIIa different from the first coagulation agent, and combinations of any of the foregoing.
11 . A method as defined in claim 8 , wherein said second coagulation agent is an antifibrinolytic agent.
12 . A method as defined in claim 11 , wherein said antifibrinolytic agent is selected from the group consisting of PAI-1, aprotinin, ε-aminocaproic acid, tranexamic acid, and combinations of any of the foregoing.
13 . A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said administering results in one or more of: a reduction in the number of days an ICH patient is hospitalized following ICH and a reduction in the risk of death in an ICH patient.
14 . A method for preventing or attenuating one or more complications of ICH in a majority of ICH patients, which are carried out by: (i) administering to a group of ICH patients an amount effective for achieving the prevention or attenuation of Factor VIIa or a Factor VIIa equivalent; and (ii) observing a reduction in the frequency of occurrence of one or more complications of ICH among the group of patients who received Factor VIIa or a Factor VIIa equivalent relative to the frequency of occurrence of said complications that would have been expected in the same group of patients who had not received said Factor VIIa or Factor VIIa equivalent.