[November 07, 2012]

Octapharma Sponsors Educational Programs, Presents Research at the 64th Annual NHF Meeting in Orlando

As part of its commitment to support the bleeding disorders community, Octapharma USA will sponsor several educational programs and present five clinical posters at the National Hemophilia Foundation's (NHF) 64^th Annual Meeting to be held November 8 - 10 in Orlando, Fla.

As a corporate sponsor, Octapharma USA will support the "Victory for Women (V4W) Reception" on November 8. V4W is a health initiative to address the critical issues faced by women with bleeding disorders. Program goals are to increase awareness of women's bleeding disorders so that girls and women receive early, accurate diagnoses, leading to better health outcomes; and to provide women affected by bleeding disorders with the education, support, skills and resources they need to advocate for their healthcare, financial and social support needs.

Also on November 8, Octapharma USA will sponsor "Von Willebrand Disease 101," a session led by Cynthia A. Gauger, M.D., a Pediatric Oncologist and Pediatric Hematologist at Wolfson Children's Hospital in Jacksonville. Dr. Gauger will discuss coping with the diagnosis of VWD, management of the disorder and specific challenges it presents during childhood. Topics will also include medication and other therapies for treatment and prevention of bleeding episodes; progression of VWD from infancy through adulthood; the benefits of a team approach to treating physical and psychological aspects; and the services that are available at a hemophilia treatment center.

On November 9, Octapharma USA will sponsor the "One-to-One VWD Community Reception," an opportunity to informally learn about managing VWD and share thoughts, concerns, questions and personal goals with peers. As the most common inherited bleeding disorder in humans, VWD affects one to two percent of the general population or approximately 3 million people in the United States.

The titles of the Octapharma poster presentations are:

• Efficacy and safety of a new generation high purity, double virus inactivated VWF/FVIII concentrate in children with VWD following product switch;
• ITI with a VWF/ FVIII concentrate in haemophilia A patients with inhibitors and a poor prognosis for ITI success: Progress report on octanate^® in the ObsITI study;
• Low inhibitor incidence in previously untreated patients with haemophilia A treated with octanate^® - Update from the PUP-GCP clinical trial;
• Efficacy and Safety Data of prophylactic treatment with Human-cl rhFVIII in previously treated patients with severe haemophilia A; and
• Pharmacokinetics, efficacy and safety of on-demand treatment with Human-cl rhFVIII in previously treated patients with severe haemophilia A.

wilate^® is a plasma-derived, stable, highly purified concentrate of freeze-dried human Von Willebrand Factor (VWF) and coagulation factor VIII (FVIII). Two well-established virus inactivation steps are incorporated into the manufacturing process of wilate^®, specifically a solvent/detergent (S/D) and terminal dry heat treatment.

wilate^® is a Von Willebrand Factor/Coagulation Factor VIII Complex (Human) indicated for the treatment of spontaneous and trauma-induced bleeding episodes in patients with severe Von Willebrand Disease (VWD), as well as patients with mild or moderate VWD in whom the use of desmopressin is known or suspected to be ineffective or contraindicated.

wilate^® is contraindicated for patients who have known anaphylactic or severe systemic reaction to plasma-derived products, any ingredient in the formulation, or components of the container. Thromboembolic events have been reported in VWD patients receiving coagulation factor replacement therapies. FVIII activity should be monitored to avoid sustained excessive FVIII levels. wilate^® is made from human plasma. The risk of infectious agents, including viruses and, theoretically, the Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease agent, cannot be completely eliminated. The most common adverse reactions to treatment with wilate^® in patients with VWD have been uticaria and dizziness. The most serious adverse reactions to treatment with wilate^® have been hypersensitivity reactions.

For more information and full prescribing on wilate^®, please visit www.wilateusa.com.

About the Octapharma Group

Headquartered in Lachen, Switzerland, Octapharma AG is one of the world's largest human protein products manufacturers and has been committed to patient care and medical innovation for nearly 30 years. With a broad and expanding pipeline, Octapharma's core business is the development, production and sale of high quality human protein therapies from both human plasma and human cell-lines, including intravenous immune globulin and von Willebrand Factor/Coagulation Factor VIII Complex. Octapharma employs over 4,000 people and has biopharmaceutical experience in 80 countries worldwide, including the United States, where Octapharma USA is located in Hoboken, N.J. Octapharma operates two state-of-the-art production sites licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), providing a high level of production flexibility. For more information, please visit www.octapharma.com or www.wilateusa.com.

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