Haemophilia care in Europe: Past progress and future promise.

O'Mahony, Brian

Haemophilia care has experienced unprecedented advances over the past 50 years, with the promise of a functional 'cure' being within reach in the not so distant future. This review outlines the challenges the haemophilia community in Europe has faced over the decades since the 1970s and how it has overcome them to steadily advance care. It will also look towards the future and anticipate the hurdles to accessing the next wave of innovation and apply how past experience can help reduce or eliminate these hurdles. The lessons we can learn from the past can inform not simply treatment decisions, but shape the policy, advocacy and access environment needed to make the future promise a reality. The future is bright, but only through active participation across the haemophilia community will we be able to achieve it. We need to work together, to ensure progress will not only be realized by those with haemophilia in Western Europe, but by all those with haemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorder throughout Europe.