Octapharma USA has announced that Wilate®, the company’s factor replacement therapy developed for von Willebrand disease (VWD), is now available from the biopharmaceutical company’s authorized distributors. A list of distributors can be found using the Wilate® product Web site. The company is a division of Octapharma AG, one of the largest plasma products manufacturers in the world.

In November, 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Wilate®, an injectable, human-derived von Willebrand factor (VWF)/factor VIII (FVIII) concentrate for the treatment of spontaneous and trauma-induced bleeding episodes in patients with all types of VWD. Wilate® is also indicated for the treatment of patients with mild or moderate VWD in whom the use of desmopressin (a synthetic version of the hormone vasopressin) is ineffective or contraindicated.

“Wilate® is an innovative treatment option for patients with von Willebrand disease that offers a high purity VWF/FVIII complex with a physiologic ratio of FVIII and VWF, double virus inactivation, convenient dosing, and clinical efficacy, safety, and tolerability proven in adult and pediatric populations,” said Flemming Nielsen, President of Octapharma USA. “We are pleased to be partnering with distributors who are committed to providing medical professionals with the therapies patients need in a timely, cost-effective manner.”

Source: PR Newswire, May 13, 2010