Octapharma
Encyclopedia
Octapharma AG is the largest privately owned plasma product manufacturer in the world. It is headquartered in Lachen, Switzerland
.
Octapharma’s core business is the development, production and sale of high quality human protein
s derived from blood plasma
or recombinant technologies. The privately owned company currently employs over 4,000 employees worldwide with biopharmaceutical sales and expertise in more than 80 countries.
, Coagulation
and Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine
.
Current R&D Projects (August 2010)
(Hemophilia A, B and von Willebrand), Immunotherapy
(autoimmune diseases, antibody deficiency, Rhesusprophylaxis) and Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine
(DIC
, blood clotting disorder, Thrombotic-thromozytopenic purpura, TRALI)
In recognition of the changed market conditions for plasma, Octapharma began acquiring plasma collection centers in the United States, Germany and Czech Republic in 2005. It is planned to source approximately 50% of the plasma needed for production of the Octapharma products from Octapharma-owned plasma centers by 2012.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
Octapharma’s core business is the development, production and sale of high quality human protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
s derived from blood plasma
Blood plasma
Blood plasma is the straw-colored liquid component of blood in which the blood cells in whole blood are normally suspended. It makes up about 55% of the total blood volume. It is the intravascular fluid part of extracellular fluid...
or recombinant technologies. The privately owned company currently employs over 4,000 employees worldwide with biopharmaceutical sales and expertise in more than 80 countries.
Research and Development
Octapharma’s R&D departments are located in Vienna (Austria), Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich (all in Germany) as well as in Stockholm (Sweden). The main focus is the development and enhancement of proteins for use in the three therapeutic areas of ImmunotherapyImmunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a medical term defined as the "treatment of disease by inducing, enhancing, or suppressing an immune response". Immunotherapies designed to elicit or amplify an immune response are classified as activation immunotherapies. While immunotherapies that reduce or suppress are...
, Coagulation
Coagulation
Coagulation is a complex process by which blood forms clots. It is an important part of hemostasis, the cessation of blood loss from a damaged vessel, wherein a damaged blood vessel wall is covered by a platelet and fibrin-containing clot to stop bleeding and begin repair of the damaged vessel...
and Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine
Emergency medicine
Emergency medicine is a medical specialty in which physicians care for patients with acute illnesses or injuries which require immediate medical attention. While not usually providing long-term or continuing care, emergency medicine physicians diagnose a variety of illnesses and undertake acute...
.
Current R&D Projects (August 2010)
- Recombinant proteins: Recombinant Factor VlllFactor VIIIFactor VIII is an essential blood clotting factor also known as anti-hemophilic factor . In humans, Factor VIII is encoded by the F8 gene...
, including a version with prolonged halflife and granulocyte-colony stimulating factors (G-CSF) - Immunoglobulin of the next generation
- Blood group independent transfusion plasmaBlood plasmaBlood plasma is the straw-colored liquid component of blood in which the blood cells in whole blood are normally suspended. It makes up about 55% of the total blood volume. It is the intravascular fluid part of extracellular fluid...
- FibrinogenFibrinogenFibrinogen is a soluble plasma glycoprotein, synthesised by the liver, that is converted by thrombin into fibrin during blood coagulation. This is achieved through processes in the coagulation cascade that activate the zymogen prothrombin to the serine protease thrombin, which is responsible for...
Products
The company's therapies are used in the treatment of many different diseases in the areas of CoagulationCoagulation
Coagulation is a complex process by which blood forms clots. It is an important part of hemostasis, the cessation of blood loss from a damaged vessel, wherein a damaged blood vessel wall is covered by a platelet and fibrin-containing clot to stop bleeding and begin repair of the damaged vessel...
(Hemophilia A, B and von Willebrand), Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a medical term defined as the "treatment of disease by inducing, enhancing, or suppressing an immune response". Immunotherapies designed to elicit or amplify an immune response are classified as activation immunotherapies. While immunotherapies that reduce or suppress are...
(autoimmune diseases, antibody deficiency, Rhesusprophylaxis) and Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine
Emergency medicine
Emergency medicine is a medical specialty in which physicians care for patients with acute illnesses or injuries which require immediate medical attention. While not usually providing long-term or continuing care, emergency medicine physicians diagnose a variety of illnesses and undertake acute...
(DIC
Disseminated intravascular coagulation
Disseminated intravascular coagulation , also known as disseminated intravascular coagulopathy or consumptive coagulopathy, is a pathological activation of coagulation mechanisms that happens in response to a variety of diseases. DIC leads to the formation of small blood clots inside the blood...
, blood clotting disorder, Thrombotic-thromozytopenic purpura, TRALI)
Octapharma Worldwide
Founded in 1983, Octapharma is a privately owned company with its headquarter in Lachen, Switzerland. The over 4,000 employees work in 28 subsidiaries worldwide. In addition Octapharma currently operates five state-of-the art manufacturing facilities in Vienna (Austria), Stockholm (Sweden), Lingolsheim (France), Springe (Germany) and Mexico City (Mexico).In recognition of the changed market conditions for plasma, Octapharma began acquiring plasma collection centers in the United States, Germany and Czech Republic in 2005. It is planned to source approximately 50% of the plasma needed for production of the Octapharma products from Octapharma-owned plasma centers by 2012.