STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN and MODENA, ITALY - October 8, 2014. Dilafor AB and Opocrin S.p.A. announced today that they have entered into a commercial supply and partnership agreement. In the agreement, Opocrin will concurrently make an investment in Dilafor and be appointed as the main commercial manufacturing partner for Dilafor’s candidate drug tafoxiparin for the European, US, CIS and Japanese markets. Furthermore, Opocrin will supply manufacturing services during clinical development of tafoxiparin and the companies will jointly develop the commercial manufacturing of tafoxiparin. Opocrin is one of the most experienced European manufacturers of polysaccharides, such as low molecular weight heparins. Dilafor is a Karolinska Development portfolio company.
The partnership will initially focus on the clinical supply of tafoxiparin in support of the Phase II and Phase III clinical trial program in obstetrical indications. Opocrin will support the company with services and manufacturing needed to take tafoxiparin through those clinical studies and by preparing for the commercial supply of tafoxiparin for major markets such as US, EU, Japan and CIS.
Further details on the investment and the terms of the agreement are not being disclosed.
“We are looking forward working together with Opocrin in this exciting and important phase in the development of tafoxiparin. Opocrin has extensive experience in the manufacturing of polysaccharide derivatives such as tafoxiparin making them an excellent commercial partner for Dilafor” says Lena Degling Wikingsson, CEO at Dilafor AB “We are excited to work with Dilafor and to support them as manufacturing partner of tafoxiparin. The candidate drug addresses important medical needs and has potential to improve delivery which leads to better fetal and maternal health”, says Giulia Falcone, Managing Director of Opocrin S.p.A.
For further information, please contact:
Giulia Falcone, Managing Director at Opocrin S.p.A.
Phone: +39 059 558352, e-mail: g.falcone@opocrin.it
Lena Degling Wikingsson, CEO at Dilafor AB
Phone: +46 (0)70 790 02 07, e-mail: lena.wikingsson@dilafor.com
TO THE EDITORS
About Dilafor AB
Dilafor AB is a Swedish drug development company focusing on the development of tafoxiparin for obstetric indications. The company’s primary goal is to decrease the incidence of dystocia after an induction of labor or after arrest of labor. The main owner of Dilafor is KDev Investments AB, part of Karolinska Development AB (publ). The other main owners are The Foundation for Baltic and European Studies (Östersjöstiftelsen) and Praktikerinvest. For more information, please visit: www.dilafor.com.
About tafoxiparin
Tafoxiparin is a heparansulphate mimetic, a propriety polysaccharide based drug developed by Dilafor. Women that experience protracted and complicated labor have deficiency in heparansulphate which is a naturally occurring polysaccharide and plays an important role in labor. Preclinical and clinical data show that tafoxiparin fulfills the role of heparansulphate and works in conjunction with naturally occurring molecules important in child birth. Labor dystocia/protracted labor has an incidence of 45% of all pregnant women. It is associated with a number of both long and short term maternal and fetal complications such as emergency caesarean sections, postpartum hemorrhages, vaginal tears, anal ruptures, meconium-stained amniotic fluid and asphyxia. These complications lead to short and long term sequelae for the mother and the newborn in addition to substantial health care costs.
About Opocrin S.p.A.
Opocrin S.p.A. is an Italian company owned by the family Saetti-Bianchini as major shareholder. Since 1964, Opocrin has been involved in research, production and marketing of active pharmaceutical ingredients derived from animal organs and tissues. Lifesaving drugs such as heparin, low molecular weight heparins and pulmonary surfactant are the most important ingredients manufactured by the company.
Opocrin has been chosen by many pharmaceutical companies and Research Institutes as a partner in the development of new products. Taking advantage of its highly experienced background in the field of polysaccharides, Opocrin is able to develop new ideas and projects step by step, from API batches for clinical trials to commercial productions. For more information, please visit: www.opocrin.com
Help employers find you! Check out all the jobs and post your resume.
