Novartis survey uncovers real-world impact of immune thrombocytopenia or ITP, a rare blood disease, on patients' quality of life

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• Findings from more than 1,300 patients across 13 countries showed ITP had especially high impact for many patients on emotional well-being (36%) and ability to work (28%)

• About two-thirds of patients reported fatigue as the most severe symptom at diagnosis and survey completion, underscoring the effect of ITP on day-to-day quality of life 

• Interim results of the ITP World Impact Survey (I-WISh) one of the largest surveys ever conducted in ITP, were presented at EHA

Basel, June 15, 2018 - Many patients with the rare blood disorder immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) find the disease has a negative impact on their everyday quality of life, according to interim results of a Novartis survey, called I-WISh, presented today at the 23^rd Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) in Stockholm, Sweden (Abstract #PF654).

I-WISh, a collaboration among global ITP experts, patient groups and Novartis, aims to uncover the impact of the disease on daily life, and patients' perceptions toward treatment and management of their condition.

Interim survey results from more than 1,300 ITP patients revealed that they have concerns about the impact of ITP on their quality of life. Results showed that more than one-third (36%) of patients said that having ITP had a high impact on their emotional well-being while 28% of patients had disease symptoms that caused them to miss work. About two-thirds of patients reported that fatigue was their most severe symptom at diagnosis (71%) and at survey completion (64%). 

"Severe fatigue, in particular, was reported by many patients as the most difficult to manage symptom of ITP," said Nichola Cooper, MD, clinical senior lecturer, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom, and Chair of the I-WISh Steering Committee. "This is an important message for healthcare providers treating patients with this rare disease; ITP is about more than bruising and risk of bleeding."