The December 2025 National Haemophilia is now available to read online and in print. In this issue we feature:
- Reports from the Australian Bleeding Disorders Conference 2025
- Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month
- World AIDS Day
- Gene & emerging therapies fact sheets
- AHCDO Targeted Research projects
- Factored In: Youth at the Conference
Thank you so much to the community members and health professionals who contribute to National Haemophilia. Your insights and expertise are invaluable.
Australian Bleeding Disorders Conference 2025
The Australian Bleeding Disorders Conference 2025 was held in Brisbane from 16-18 October. Bringing together over 230 members of the bleeding disorders community for 77 presentations from 59 speakers, it was an absolutely massive event.
In the December National Haemophilia we share over 15 pages of Conference reports! From one HFA president to another, Gavin Finkelstein and Alan Dursun share their reflections on the Conference. We feature von Willebrand disease, with a session overview by Shauna Adams followed by personal stories from Tyler and Sophie, while Suzanne O’Callaghan takes us through the Women and bleeding disorders plenary.
Our health professionals have also provided a series of comprehensive reports, with Laura Bardell covering the Lifestyle session, Monique Manzanera covering the Getting older session, Yuhsuan Lin (Yoshi) talking about how the Conference shared stories, science, and strong connections, and Juana Chokvareeporn and Ellie Papantoniou providing a physiotherapy perspective.
Finally, this issue’s Factored In youth story features Alan Dursun and Ben Inglis, who organised and led the Youth Program for the Conference.
Raising awareness
Coinciding with the Conference, Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month ran throughout the month of October. Read this issue of National Haemophilia for photos of the community raising awareness, and our colouring in competition winners.
December 1st is World AIDS Day. This year’s theme was No one left behind. In National Haemophilia we provide some history behind HIV and bleeding disorders, and explore how we can respond to the challenges experienced by our community members.
New and emerging therapies
The treatment landscape for bleeding disorders is changing. With several innovative new therapies in clinical trials or becoming available, we have produced four new fact sheets to help you better understand gene therapy for haemophilia, bispecific antibody therapy, clotting factor replacement therapy and rebalancing therapies.
In addition to the fact sheets, we are excited to share an interview with Prof Cedric Hermans discussing new haemophilia treatments (and more!). Prof Cedric, from Saint-Luc University Hospital, was our international keynote speaker at the Conference.
Also in National Haemophilia Amanda Rush and others share the results of a study led by the University of Sydney, ‘Gene therapy and you: what Australians told us‘, and Ashley Fletcher announces three research projects funded by AHCDO which will aim to improve diagnosis and treatment for people with bleeding disorders.
Other news
Also featured in this issue of National Haemophilia, in the President’s Report we farewell Gavin Finkelstein and introduce Alan Dursun as our new HFA President, welcome Julia Broadbent to the team, and recognise our HFA Award winners.
Lastly, don’t forget to submit your applications for the Damon Courtenay Memorial Endowment Fund. The fund is available to all community members and may be used for projects, services and/or care, or an activity aimed at improving the physical and emotional wellbeing and independence of recipient/s. Applications close on 16 January 2026.
We hope you enjoy reading National Haemophilia.
