Octapharma Hosts Symposium at WFH World Congress on Meeting the Challenges of Von Willebrand Disease (VWD) Diagnosis and Treatment

LACHEN, Switzerland - Thursday, July 26th 2012 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Octapharma AG, a leading producer of human proteins for life saving therapies, sponsored a symposium entitled“Meeting the challenges of VWD diagnosis and treatment- Which problems have we solved?” This symposium was held on July 11, 2012 during the 30th Congress of World Federation of Haemophilia in Paris, France.

More than 320 delegates attended the breakfast symposium on the challenges of von Willebrand Disease (VWD) diagnosis and treatment, chaired by John Pasi, Professor of Haemostasis and Thrombosis at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.

VWD is the most common of the inherited bleeding disorders, with approximately 1% of the population having von Willebrand factor (VWF) levels below normal, yet there are still areas of uncertainty when it comes to diagnosis and treatment. wilate® (von Willebrand Factor/Factor VIII Concentrate, Human), is a high-purity von Willebrand/Factor VIII preparation therapy with VWF and FVIII in physiological 1:1 ratio. wilate® has been developed to set a new standard in VWD treatment.

Mario v. Depka, Director of the Werlhof Institute, Hannover, Germany, discussed VWD during surgical interventions. Undergoing surgery is still a major challenge in the management of patients with VWD. These challenges can be best met by following best practice, including confirmed diagnosis, paying attention to both VWF factor and FVIII in order to avoid thrombotic complications and utilizing the appropriate choice of concentrate in treatment.

Kate Khair, Nurse Consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK, discussed Clinical diagnosis and treatment of the paediatric patient. The main outcome was that the diagnosis and treatment of children (especially young children) should take into consideration the special requirements of paediatrics in order to reach proper diagnosis, and once diagnosed, treatment must be adapted accordingly to paediatric requirements. In a cohort of 23 children, ranging from 1 day old to 17 years old, wilate®, a new VWF FVIII concentrate, was used successfully in operative treatments both on demand and prophylaxis. Pharmacokinetics (PK) based optimized dosing resulted in a 100% positive treatment outcome.

Steve Austin, Consultant Haematologist practicing in the National Health Service of the UK in two large South London Teaching hospitals, discussed the use of PK for introduction of wilate®, as a second generation VWF/FIII concentrate. A cohort of patients (mainly adult) was presented receiving the new VWF/FVIII product based on individual PK profiling. It was concluded that whenever there is an improved treatment option, based on the high individual variability of PK, the evaluation of this individual PK profile helps to adapt treatment to best utilize the advantages of new treatment possibilities. PK studies provide valuable information for dosing and dosing frequency. Optimal levels could be achieved within all cases using standard doses with wilate®.

Ulrike Nowak-Göttl, Head of Thrombosis and Hemostasis Treatment Center, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, Germany, discussed rational secondary prophylaxis in VWD. She presented a cohort of 24 patients of all age groups, receiving secondary prophylaxis treatment with wilate® and explained the importance of individual PK based regimens when planning for prophylactic treatment. All included patients of this investigator-initiated trial benefited strongly from this treatment, as shown by reduction of bleeding frequency and bleeding score and visible by strong increase of FVIII VWF. After 6-12 months there was group recovery plus improved quality of life, supported by an overall increase in haemoglobin after onset of prophylaxis.

Chairman Professor John Pasi, Royal London Hospital, London, UK reflected that “Each speaker at Octapharma’s VWD symposium substantiated the reliable clinical outcomes and universal benefit of using wilate® in different types of patients, especially in challenging settings.”

About von Willebrand Disease

von Willebrand disease is the most common of the inherited bleeding disorders, with approximately 1% of the population having VWF levels below normal.

About wilate®

wilate® (von Willebrand Factor/Factor VIII Concentrate, Human), a high-purity von Willebrand/Factor VIII preparation therapy with VWF and FVIII in physiological 1:1 ratio.

About the XXX Congress of the World Federation of Hemophilia in Paris, France

The XXX International Congress of the World Federation of Hemophilia took place from July 8–12, 2012, in Paris, France. The WFH 2012 World Congress provides the largest international scientific meeting place for the global bleeding disorders community. This Congress is organized by the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) and is hosted by the

Association Française des Hémophiles.

About Octapharma

Octapharma, a Swiss-based independent fractionation specialist, is one of the largest plasma product manufacturers in the world. Our core business is the development, production and sale of premium human proteins from both human plasma and human cell-lines. Octapharma employs more than 4‘500 people in 28 countries. Patients in over 80 countries are treated with products in the following therapeutic areas:

    Haematology (coagulation disorders)
    Immunotherapy (immune disorders)
    Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine

Octapharma has dedicated resources to develop the first recombinant FVIII expressed in the human cell line. This unique approach is intended to reduce the immunogenic potential and sets Octapharma apart from other companies whose recombinant products are based on animal cells. Octapharma owns five state of the art production facilities in Austria, France, Germany, Sweden and Mexico. For more information visit www.octapharma.com

Contacts

Octapharma AG

Corporate Communications

Claudie Qumsieh

Tel: +41 (55) 451 21 78

claudie.qumsieh@octapharma.com