Ipsen, an international pharmaceutical company in Paris, announced it has completed the purchase from Octagen Corporation of all assets related to OBI-1, a recombinant porcine (pig) factor VIII drug. According to the company’s July 17, 2008, press release, Ipsen anticipates OBI-1’s use in treating bleeding episodes in hemophilia A patients with inhibitors. Up to this point, Octagen and Ipsen had been working collaboratively on the development and commercialization of the product.

Since porcine FVIII has low cross-reactivity to FVIII antibodies, it is expected that it will stop bleeding in patients with hemophilia A who have developed inhibitors, using the same natural pathway as human FVIII for noninhibitor patients.

Phase I and II clinical trials have been conducted with OBI-1 in Canada, Russia, South Africa and the U.S. Results of a phase II study on OBI-1 were presented at the American Society of Hematology meeting in December 2007. They indicated that the drug could be given as a short infusion. In the study, bleeds were controlled and the drug was well tolerated by the research subjects. Future studies are planned to confirm OBI-1’s long-term safety and efficacy, and to determine optimal dose range in a larger group of patients with hemophilia A and inhibitors, and in patients with acquired hemophilia A.

Source: Ipsen press release dated July 17, 2008