The annual Arosenius Fund research grant was awarded to Dr. Stefan Lethagen of Sweden for his work in von Willebrand disease. Established by the Swedish Haemophilia society in 1994, and sponsored by Octapharma since inception, the Arosenius Fund aims to further advance the research and treatment of haemophilia.

The fund is named after one of Sweden's best-loved artist, Ivar Arosenius, who suffered from haemophilia and died in the beginning of last century. Every second year the Arosenius Fund holds a symposium in which leaders in the research and treatment of haemophilia from the Nordic region come together to discuss recent developments. This year the symposium took place in Helsinki, Finland. Global and European approaches to the treatment of haemophilia were highlighted, attracting over 100 of the most important haemophilia doctors from the Scandinavian region, Baltic States and other countries in Eastern Europe.

Dr. Stefan Lethagen and his group received the Arosenius Fund research grant to support their promising work into the genetics of von Willebrand disease (VWD) which may lead to easier methods for diagnosis. Specifically, they are looking into VWD Type 1 the most common and mild form of the disease.

Von Willebrand disease is the most common inherited bleeding disorder, affecting 1-2% of the population. The disease causes a deficiency or malfunction in the von Willebrand factor (VWF) which normally functions in the development of clots. People affected by the disease will have difficulty in stopping bleeding. Symptoms range from none to mild (nose bleeds, easy bruising), and severe (bleeding in joints or internal organs) depending on the type of VWD they inherit. The majority of patients affected will have Type 1 VWD with mild symptoms, making the disease difficult to diagnose, and possibily, undetected for years.

Dr. Chandy together with Professors Margareta and Blombäck