Introduction
Fostamatinib (trade name: Tavlesse) has been approved in Germany since January 2020 for the treatment of chronic immune thrombocytopenia in adults. It is an option if other treatments have not helped.
Immune thrombocytopenia, also called immune thrombocytopenic purpura, is an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s own antibodies attack the platelets in the blood (thrombocytes). This leads to a deficiency.
The lack of thrombocytes in the blood causes the blood to clot more slowly, which increases the risk of bleeding. A typical symptom of immune thrombocytopenia is small, dot-shaped spots on the skin and mucous membranes, caused by bleeding into the skin and membranes. Severe and life-threatening bleeding is also possible, but rare.
Immune thrombocytopenia is considered to be chronic if the deficiency lasts for longer than one year. The chronic form mostly affects adults.
Fostamatinib is supposed to reduce the breakdown of thrombocytes in the spleen.