Wyeth Builds on Commitment to Innovation in Haemophilia
Wyeth Australia - New Zealand has welcomed the announcement of a new global research alliance to develop new treatments for haemophilia patients.
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth, the fourth largest biopharmaceutical company in the world recently announced the signing of a research collaboration and license agreement with Nautilus Biotech in France.
The partnership will focus on the discovery and development of novel recombinant Factor IX proteins for the treatment of haemophilia B. The novel proteins will be designed to have an extended half-life and will improve patient convenience and quality of life by reducing the number and frequency of treatments needed.
"Wyeth is continually evaluating technologies for next-generation haemophilia products that provide unique and improved features for patients. This research partnership enhances Wyeth's presence in biopharmaceuticals and builds upon our history of innovation in haemophilia research," says Cavan Redmond, Executive Vice President and General Manager, BioPharma Business Unit at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.
Haemophilia is a rare, inherited blood-clotting disorder that affects more than 1600 patients in Australia and New Zealand. People with haemophilia are deficient in one of the key proteins - either Factor VIII (haemophilia A) or Factor IX (haemophilia B) - that are essential to promote clotting and stop bleeding. Both forms of haemophilia are characterised by spontaneous haemorrhages or prolonged bleeding, typically into joints and soft tissue, and patients are dependent on protein replacement therapy for life.
The Nautilus Biotech technology makes minimal and specific changes to amino acids sequences in order to slow the breakdown of the protein in the body. As part of the agreement, Nautilus Biotech will apply its proprietary technology to improve the duration of action of recombinant haemophilia B therapy. Wyeth will develop, manufacture and market products derived from the collaborative research.
Under the terms of this agreement, Nautilus Biotech will receive an upfront payment, research and development fees, milestone payments from Wyeth associated with development, regulatory filings and approvals, and royalty payments based on net sales of products.
"Wyeth has an impressive track record as a pioneer in developing state-of-the-art haemophilia therapies and Nautilus Biotech has a unique technology for improving protein medicines. We believe that the collaboration between Wyeth and Nautilus will offer exciting new therapeutic
approaches for haemophilia," says Manuel Vega, Chief Executive Officer of Nautilus Biotech.
Wyeth is one of the world's largest research-driven pharmaceutical and health care products companies. It is a leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products and non-prescription medicines that improve the quality of life for people worldwide. The Company's major divisions include Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare and Fort Dodge Animal Health.
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