 |
 close |
||
|
|
October 17th, 2003 Octapharma’s R&D offers exciting new therapeutic approach to management of haemophilia 
OCTAGENE GmbH Biomedical Laboratories (OCTAGENE GmbH) is a privately owned biotechnology company specializing in the development of new treatments against haemophilia. It was founded in 1997 by Dr. Charlotte Hauser as a joint venture with Octapharma. Dr. Hauser, the managing director of OCTAGENE GmbH has long experience in the research of recombinant proteins and gene therapy. The strategic alliance provides OCTAGENE with state-of-the-art technologies and enables an international exchange of know-how. The company is located in Martinsried near Munich, Germany, a place that has already acquired a world-wide reputation as a leading biotechnology research centre.OCTAGENE GmbH is a product-oriented R&D company whose main focus is the production of novel recombinant clotting factors and gene therapy in order to discover alternatives to the customary substitution therapy.  Recombinant clotting factors are manufactured biosynthetically. This eliminates any risk of viral contamination.OCTAGENE is focusing on the improvement of recombinant clotting factors with respect to human compatibility. Unlike all other recombinant clotting factors that are based on rodent cell lines OCTAGENE´s recombinant factor VIII has been developed on the basis of a human cell line. Preliminary studies in animals have demonstrated that this product (Octagene SF®) displays stability and clearance kinetics comparable to those of a licensed recombinant FVIII, indicating that the protein is physiologically active in vivo and providing strong support for its therapeutic potential in humans.. It is anticipated that OCTAGENE SF will begin clinical development within the next one or two years. For more information please click here. In parallel, OCTAGENE is pursuing an alternative strategy: gene therapy as a completely new form of treatment. OCTAGENE´s concept is based on the fact that specific hormones which are given orally can penetrate the cell membrane. The hormone binds onto a hormone receptor which in turn is coupled with the DNA that defines the genetic blueprint for the production of the clotting factor in the cell. Oral application of gene therapy offers enormous benefits to patients, not least of which will be the avoidance of repeated painful, time-consuming infusions.
For more information about OCTAGENE visit: www.octagene.com (Please note clicking this link will take you out of the Octapharma web site) © Octapharma AG, 2003 |
Dr. Charlotte Hauser, the managing director of OCTAGENE adds: