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Source: Biopure Corporation
Biopure Acquires Control of Hemopure(R) Marketing and Distribution in South AfricaTuesday February 1, 8:04 am ET
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Biopure Corporation (Nasdaq: BPUR - News) announced today that it has signed an agreement formalizing the termination of its contract with Tshepo Pharmaceuticals Ltd., the former registration holder and marketing and distribution agent in South Africa for Biopure's oxygen therapeutic Hemopure(R) [hemoglobin glutamer -- 250 (bovine)], thereby effecting the transfer of the registration and resolving a long delay in the company's ability to market the product in that country. Biopure has appointed an interim registration holder and has selected a warehousing and shipping agent to physically distribute the product in South Africa. Biopure is also seeking to register itself as a pharmaceutical marketing company in South Africa so it can directly hold the product registration.
"One of our goals when I joined Biopure was to gain control of marketing and distribution for Hemopure in South Africa," said Zafiris G. Zafirelis, Biopure's president and CEO since June 2004. "Having met this goal, we're now preparing to submit a pricing proposal to the government's Medicines Pricing Committee and are considering marketing the product to hospitals through our South Africa office on a limited basis as our resources allow. We'll assess the timing and extent of these activities during the next several weeks."
South Africa's Medicines Control Council approved Hemopure in 2001 for the treatment of adult surgical patients who are acutely anemic and for the purpose of eliminating, delaying or reducing the need for allogeneic red blood cells. The product has not yet been offered for sale due to the former contractual dispute with Tshepo Pharmaceuticals. However, post approval more than 300 patients in South Africa have been treated with Hemopure units that Biopure previously provided without charge.
Hemopure is an oxygen therapeutic, or oxygen-carrying biologic drug, consisting of stabilized bovine hemoglobin formulated in a balanced salt solution. These polymerized (chemically cross-linked) hemoglobin molecules circulate in the plasma (the fluid part of blood) when infused and are smaller, less viscous and more readily release oxygen to tissues than red blood cells. Unlike stored blood, Hemopure is ultrapurified, compatible with all blood types, and stable for three years without refrigeration.

posted by Juan Dosil @ 5:16 AM