Featured News

In a December 2009 study, researchers in China evaluated the efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) alpha-2a monotherapy in Chinese hemophilia patients co-infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis C virus (HCV).

A December 2009 article published in the journal Haemophilia suggests that caesarean delivery should be considered a viable option for carriers of affected infants with hemophilia.

In January, Biogen Idec and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum announced that the first three patients were dosed in a registrational, open-label, multicenter trial of the companies’ long-acting, recombinant factor IX Fc fusion protein (rFIXFc) in hemophilia B patients. rFIXFc is developed using Biogen Idec’s novel and proprietary monomeric Fc-fusion technology.

The Germany-based specialty pharmaceutical company Bayer Schering Pharma AG announced in January that it has discontinued a Phase II clinical trial (the LIPLONG study) for BAY79-4980, a long-acting recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) therapy. The decision was made after an interim analysis and subsequent recommendation by an independent Data Safety and Monitoring Board (DSMB). DSMB concluded that the study would not achieve “the predetermined efficacy endpoint (non-inferiority).” The company added that no safety concerns were raised.

Ipsen and Inspiration Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that they have entered into a partnership to combine their expertise and technologies to develop new recombinant factor products.

AABB News recently reported on updates made to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) Assessment Model. vCJD is the human form of “mad cow disease” (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, BSE).

The January 19th win of the Massachusetts senate seat, previously held by the late Ted Kennedy, by Senator-Elect Scott Brown has given Senate Republicans their 41st member, which is enough to sustain a filibuster.  This has imperiled the final passage of comprehensive health reform in 2010.

In January 2010, the Congressional Research Service released “The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program” a report summarizing the details of Ryan White program, reauthorized in October 2009.