Hemophilia A is a congenital bleeding disorder characterized by deficient or defective factor VIII; nearly all affected patients are male. People with hemophilia A may experience prolonged or spontaneous bleeding, especially into the muscles, joints, or internal organs. According to the World Federation of Hemophilia, about 1 in 10,000 people are born with hemophilia, the majority of whom have hemophilia A.
“Our focused research and development and strong relationship with the bleeding disorders community led us to seek further advancements in the care and treatment of hemophilia,” said Dr. Andrew Cuthbertson, Chief Scientific Officer and Director of R&D, CSL Limited. “Today, we have the only recombinant single-chain factor VIII product in late-stage development for the management of hemophilia A. We look forward to, upon approval, providing this innovative specialty biotherapy to patients in the EU and European Economic Area.”
The MAA is based on the AFFINITY clinical development program, which includes a phase I/III open-label, multi-center trial examining safety and efficacy. The pharmacokinetics of rVIII-SingleChain compared with recombinant human antihemophilic factor VIII (octocog alfa) was also studied. Study design details for rVIII-SingleChain are available at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01486927).
Results from the phase I/III study presented earlier this year at the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) congress in Toronto showed that patients treating prophylactically had a median annualized bleeding rate (ABR) of 1.14 and a median annualized spontaneous bleeding rate (AsBR) of 0.00. The data also showed that, of 848 bleeds treated in the study, 94 percent were controlled with no more than two infusions of rVIII-SingleChain, with 81 percent controlled by one infusion. Moreover, hemostatic control of a bleeding event treated with rVIII-SingleChain was assessed by the investigator as excellent or good 94 percent of the time (835 assessed bleeding events).
The results presented at ISTH included data on more than 14,000 exposure days in 146 patients on prophylaxis and 27 patients treating on demand for a bleeding event. In total, 120 patients were treated for more than 50 days of exposure; 52 had more than 100 days of exposure. In the prophylaxis group, 32 percent of patients were dosed twice weekly and 54 percent received treatment three times per week; the regimen was determined by the investigator. The most common adverse events were naso-pharyngitis, arthralgia, and headache. No inhibitors were reported.
About rVIII-SingleChain
Specifically designed for greater molecular stability, rVIII-SingleChain is the first and only recombinant single-chain factor VIII (FVIII) product in late-stage development for the treatment of hemophilia A. rVIII-SingleChain has a strong affinity for von Willebrand factor, leading to greater stability and integrity of factor VIII in circulation. The stability of rVIII-SingleChain leads to a longer-lasting therapeutic effect with reduced dosing frequency. In July 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration accepted for review CSL Behring’s Biologics License Application for rVIII-SingleChain.
For more information about CSL Behring’s recombinant products in development to treat hemophilia, visit http://www.cslbehring.com/products/bleeding-disorders/novel-recombinant-hemophilia-treatments.
About CSL
CSL (ASX:CSL) is a leading global biotherapeutics company with a dynamic portfolio of life-saving innovations, including those that treat hemophilia and immune deficiencies, as well as vaccines to prevent influenza. Since our start in 1916, we have been driven by our promise to save lives using the latest technologies. Today, CSL — including our two businesses CSL Behring and Seqirus — operates in over 30 countries with more than 14,000 employees. Our unique combination of commercial strength, R&D focus and operational excellence enables us to identify, develop and deliver innovations so our patients can live life to the fullest.
For more information about CSL Behring visit www.CSLBehring.com or follow us at www.Twitter.com/CSLBehring.
###
Media:
Greg Healy
CSL Behring
Office: 610-878-4841
Mobile: 610-906-4564
Email: Greg.Healy@cslbehring.com