Wyeth's Xyntha Approved by FDA for Treatment of Hemophilia A

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth , announced today that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for XYNTHA(TM) (Antihemophilic Factor [Recombinant], Plasma/Albumin-Free), a recombinant factor VIII product, for patients with hemophilia A for both the control and prevention of bleeding episodes and surgical prophylaxis. XYNTHA (pronounced "ZIN-tha") is manufactured using a completely albumin-free process and state- of-the-art nanofiltration purification technology. In addition, XYNTHA is the only recombinant factor VIII product to utilize an entirely synthetic (non- human and non-animal based) purification process in its manufacture.

Until now, the purification process for all recombinant factor VIII products used monoclonal antibodies derived from mouse cell lines. In the manufacture of XYNTHA, the mouse monoclonal antibody is replaced with a synthetic peptide ligand, which was invented by Wyeth scientists.
"XYNTHA is important for hemophilia A patients because it establishes a new standard in recombinant factor VIII product purification technology," says Robert R. Ruffolo, Jr., Ph.D., President, Wyeth Research, and Senior Vice President, Wyeth. "This is another example of Wyeth's continued commitment to the advancement of science in the treatment of hemophilia."
The safety and efficacy of XYNTHA in the prevention and control of bleeding episodes and for surgical prophylaxis for patients with hemophilia A has been demonstrated in pivotal clinical trials.