Canada's First Gene Therapy Frees Man From Hemophilia B

For three decades, Basel Abushawish watched from the sidelines while others played the sports he dreamed of joining.

The 31-year-old London, Ontario resident has lived with hemophilia B his entire life. The rare bleeding disorder meant unpredictable bleeds, joint damage, and pain so severe he sometimes couldn't walk to the bathroom.

On May 13, everything changed. Abushawish became the first patient in Canada to receive HEMGENIX at London Health Sciences Centre, a one-time gene therapy that could replace a lifetime of Factor IX transfusions.

"When you have bleeding, you cannot do your normal life activities," Abushawish explained. "It is a lot of pain, to be honest."

The therapy teaches his body to produce its own Factor IX, the protein that helps blood clot properly. Instead of frequent infusions for life, patients receive a single treatment.

Dr. Chai Phua, who oversaw the procedure, calls it a full paradigm shift in treating hemophilia B. The therapy has been decades in development and promises less bleeding, reduced treatment burden, and potential independence from regular infusions.

Why This Inspires

This breakthrough represents more than medical innovation. It shows what's possible when researchers refuse to give up on solving problems that affect thousands of people.

About 3,800 Canadians live with hemophilia. HEMGENIX is now publicly funded in British Columbia and Ontario for eligible patients, meaning more people can access this life-changing treatment without financial barriers.

For Abushawish, the therapy opens doors that have been closed his entire life. His first priority? Getting on the soccer pitch.

"To be honest, I've never done sports in my life, so this is going to be big," he said with evident excitement.

The transformation from a lifetime of limitation to newfound freedom captures something powerful about medical progress: it's not just about treating disease, but about restoring the simple joys that make life worth living.

Abushawish is finally leaving the sidelines.