Israeli life sciences firm Medgenics (LON:MEDG) has announced this afternoon that it is in active discussions with US firm Baxter Healthcare Corporation for possible further collaboration following the expiry at the end of last month of the two companies’ agreement to jointly develop the Factor VIII Biopump.
The Biopump is a tissue-based platform technology, being developed and commercialised by Medgenics, for the sustained production and delivery of therapeutic proteins using the patient’s own skin biopsy for the treatment of a range of chronic diseases. These include: anaemia, hepatitis C and haemophilia.
Medgenics believes that its approach has multiple benefits compared with existing treatments, which include regular and costly injections.
The firm has three long-acting protein therapy products in development that are based on its Biopump technology. These are: Epodure, aimed at anaemic patients and which produces and delivers erythropoietin for many months from a single administration; Infradure, which produces a sustained therapeutic dose of interferon-alpha for us in the treatment of hepatitis C; and Hemodure, which is a sustained Factor VIII therapy for the prophylactic treatment of haemophilia.
Medgenics added that it will provide a further update regarding the outcome of its discussions with Baxter as soon as possible.
Source: Medgenics
