Octapharma Launches Clinical Trial to Evaluate Efficacy & Safety of wilate® In Preventing Surgical Bleeding in Type 3 von Willebrand Disease Patients

First Patient Enrolled in Phase 3 Trial Targeting the Most Severe VWD Patients

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Sep 26, 2011, 10:15 ET

HOBOKEN, N.J. and LACHEN, Switzerland, Sept. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Octapharma, one of the largest human protein products manufacturers in the world, has launched an international multi-center clinical study to investigate the efficacy and safety of wilate® (von Willebrand Factor/Factor VIII Concentrate, Human) in preventing excessive intra- and post-operative bleeding in pediatric and adult patients with Type 3 von Willebrand Disease (VWD) who undergo major surgical procedures.

The prospective, open-label, Phase 3 trial is being conducted at study centers in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and South Africa and recently enrolled its first patient. As the most common inherited bleeding disorder in humans, VWD affects one to two percent of the general population or approximately 3 million people in the United States. VWD is a complex congenital bleeding disorder that is divided into subtypes with Type 3 being the most severe form.

"The study will collect valuable information on this rare VWD patient subset," said Coordinating Investigator Craig Kessler, M.D., Georgetown University Hospital, Professor of Medicine and Pathology and Director of the Division of Coagulation. "Sufficient data is not currently available for Type 3 VWD patients. The research will be invaluable in determining the adequacy of dosing and duration of treatment in this group of patients."

Originally approved in Germany in 2005, wilate® is available in 46 countries worldwide. In December 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Octapharma orphan drug exclusivity for wilate®, the first replacement therapy developed specifically for VWD.

wilate® is a plasma-derived, stable, highly purified concentrate of freeze-dried human von Willebrand factor (VWF) and coagulation factor VIII (FVIII). Two well-established virus inactivation steps are incorporated into the manufacturing process of wilate®, specifically a solvent/detergent (S/D) and terminal dry heat treatment.

For more information on the research, entitled "Clinical Study to Investigate the Efficacy and Safety of Human Factor VWF/VIII Concentrate (wilate^®) in Subject with Inherited Type 3 Von Willebrand Disease (VWD) who Undergo Major Surgical Procedures (WONDERS)," please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov. U.S. researchers interested in participating in the study should contact Sylvia Werner, Octapharma Associate Director Clinical Operations – Coagulation, at (201) 604-1149 or [email protected].

About the Octapharma Group

Headquartered in Lachen, Switzerland, Octapharma AG is one of the largest human protein products manufacturers in the world and has been committed to patient care and medical innovation for over 27 years. Octapharma's core business is the development, production and sale of high quality human protein therapies from both human plasma and human cell-lines, including immune globulin intravenous (IGIV). In the U.S., Octapharma's IGIV product, octagam^® (immune globulin intravenous [human] 5%), is used to treat disorders of the immune system, and Octapharma's Albumin (human)^® is indicated for the restoration and maintenance of circulating blood volume. Octapharma's wilate® received orphan drug exclusivity from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of von Willebrand disease (VWD). Octapharma employs over 4,000 people and has biopharmaceutical experience in 80 countries worldwide, including the United States, where Octapharma USA is located in Hoboken, N.J. Octapharma operates two state-of-the-art production sites licensed by the FDA, providing a high level of production flexibility. For more information, please visit www.octapharma.com or www.wilateusa.com.

Forward-looking statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements, which include known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors not under the company's control. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments. These factors include results of current or pending research and development activities and actions by the FDA or other regulatory authorities.

SOURCE Octapharma