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September 23rd, 2004 Octapharma-Biotest-Kedrion : A Unique Joint Venture
As it has done since 1963, the WFH is organising its biennial international meeting, the largest of its kind dedicated to haemophilia. Around 4000 visitors are expected to attend, including physicians, healthcare providers and haemophilia patients and their families. The WFH congresses are an excellent opportunity for patients and doctors from around the world to meet and exchange experiences and ideas, as well as to find out about the latest developments in haemophilia. Routinely, satellite symposia sponsored by industry are organised in parallel to the main programme. These provide a vehicle for companies to present their recent research results, product developments and clinical observations.
The symposium is to begin with the American medical consultant Dr. Bernhard Horowitz, well-known for his introduction of the SD method of virus inactivation, now the gold standard for blood products. Dr Horowitz will present information comparing the clinical safety of plasma-derived and recombinant factor VIII. Since the introduction of a large combination of technologies, such as highly sensitive plasma screening, multiple virus inactivation steps and validation methods, plasma-derived factor VIII has not transmitted either viral or prion-related diseases in the last decade. Validated inactivation procedures have made the preparations robust against new virus infections and the production processes have been shown to have adequate measures for prion removal. This information should lay to the rest the largely polemic debate about the relative safety of the different kinds of preparations and illustrate the importance of plasma as a continued and safe source of products for haemophilia treatment. Prof. Claude Négrier from Lyons in France will talk about the relative efficacy and consumption of plasma-derived factor VIII compared with recombinant products. He will report interim results of a retrospective multi-national, multi-centre post-authorisation observational “cross-over type” study that compared the respective efficacy of substitutive treatment using recombinant factor VIII with that using plasma-derived factor VIII concentrates in previously treated haemophilia A patients. These patients had received both types of products consecutively during a minimum period of 6 months for each product. The data was collected at the study centres and transferred electronically into a central data base. Dr. Günter Auerswald will present data from German clinical studies, in which plasma-derived and recombinant factor VIII concentrates have been compared in terms of the development of inhibitors. Lower rates of inhibitor formation, and a correspondingly lower risk for patients, have been observed using the natural complex of von Willebrand factor and plasma-derived factor VIII. Under physiological conditions these two factors are bound together to form a stable complex and thus remarkably minimise inhibitor development. Furthermore, inhibitor activity can be eliminated by administering high doses of this plasma-derived and purified complex. Dr. Wolfhart Kreuz from Frankfurt, Germany will expand on studies he has carried out on previously untreated patients (PUP). Using data from GTH (Gesellschaft für Thrombose und Haemostase Forschung) PUP Study Group, he will show how, independent of age at the start of treatment, more patients developed inhibitors with recombinant than with plasma-derived factor VIII. He will thus show that, once again, plasma-derived factor VIII has superior results. The series of talks will be rounded up by the presentation of international data given by Prof. Alessandro Gringeri of Italy . The characteristics and particularities of plasma-derived factor VIII will be discussed and the results from several clinical trials from around Europe will be shown. Data for this talk has very kindly been provided by Dr. Anders Glomstein (Norway), Dr. Simon Brown (UK), Prof. Jenny Goudemand (France), and research groups from Hungary. The symposium will be professionally, but entertainingly chaired by the virtual Prof. Willie Brand, a loveable pencil character from CoToon, Belgium. Prof. Willie Brand symbolises the joint venture between Octapharma, Biotest and Kedrion and is renowned for his stimulating questions and up-beat, provocative conclusions. He is certain to bring the message across in an enjoyable manner. Click here to view the online invitiation to the symposium. We look forward to seeing you there! Please also join us on the Octapharma booth #4 for a relaxing Thai massage in our "Zen Zone" and for friendly discussions with our knowlegable and engaging representatives. © Octapharma AG, 2004 |
