Cangene starts trial of WinRho SDF in hepatitis C patients

By Lisa Kerner

Erie, Pa., April 19 - Cangene said it began a clinical trial at Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York City to test Cangene's antibody, WinRho SDF, in patients infected with hepatitis C virus.

Current treatment for hepatitis C infected patients is a combination of the drugs peginterferon alfa-2 and ribavirin, which can cause a drop in platelet numbers (thrombocytopenia).

The new study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of using WinRho SDF to offset thrombocytopenia in patients with hepatitis C infection who are starting, or already receiving, treatment with peginterferon alfa-2 and ribavirin.

Cangene said WinRho SDF is approved in the United States for treating a specific type of thrombocytopenia called ITP (immune thrombocytopenic purpura), caused by an attack on platelets by the immune system.

"The success in using WinRho SDF to treat ITP as well as positive results from a recent trial in dengue hemorrhagic fever patients leads us to investigate whether other patient populations could also benefit from treatment," president and chief executive officer John Langstaff said in a news release.

Hepatitis C infection, spread by infected blood, becomes chronic in 55% to 85% of cases and can lead to chronic liver disease. An estimated 2.7 million Americans have chronic hepatitis C infection.

WinRho SDF is available in freeze-dried and liquid formulations and is marketed in the United States by Baxter Healthcare Corp.

Cangene is a biotechnology company based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

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