Patients enrolled in the trial will be treated for the first 50 EDs or for the first 3 years from enrolment, whichever comes first, with either a single plasma-derived FVIII concentrate containing von Willebrand factor or a single rFVIII concentrate as assigned by the randomisation. Treatment with FVIII products other than that initially prescribed will represent a reason for withdrawal.
The therapeutic regimen for on-demand treatment will be at the discretion of the physician, even though a dose of 25-40 IU/Kg is recommended, to repeat until complete resolution of the episode, or 40 IU/Kg at bleeding occurrence, followed by 20 IU/Kg at 24 and 72 hours.
The dosage for prophylaxis will be at the discretion of the physician. The suggested regimen for standard prophylaxis is 25-40 IU/Kg, 3-4 times a week. For the sake of the analysis, prophylaxis is defined as at least 2 infusions weekly on non-consecutive days with 20 IU/Kg or more. Any other regular treatment will be defined as modified prophylaxis.
Patients will be monitored for inhibitor development by Bethesda assay with Nijmegen modification locally and at the central laboratory in case of treatment failure or every 3 to 4 EDs for the first 20 EDs and every 10 EDs thereafter, or every 3 months, whichever come first, and at any time inhibitor development would be clinically suspected. Patients on prophylaxis will be tested every 2 weeks.
In case of suspect inhibitor development, inhibitor levels must be assessed locally (a second aliquot will be stored in the refrigerator) and confirmed both locally and at the central laboratory within 14 days after the first positive test and every month for the following 6 months.