Shire in deal with Novimmune to develop antibody for haemophilia treatment

Shire has entered into an agreement with Swiss biopharmaceutical group Novimmune which grants it exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialise a bi-specific antibody in pre-clinical development for the treatment of haemophilia A.

Shire is leading the development of the programme to optimise and evaluate a fully-human, bi-specific Immunoglobulin G antibody.

Fritz Scheiflinger, head of global research at Shire, said: "This novel program builds on our extensive monoclonal antibody (MAb) capabilities, as well as on our in-depth scientific expertise in haematology. While further development and clinical trials are needed to fully evaluate this antibody, we are encouraged by the potential of the data that we have seen in early discovery and the promise it may hold for haemophilia A patients and patients with inhibitors.”

Novimmune has been developing a platform for making fully human, bi-specific antibodies and has several in-house programmes targeting tumour-associated antigens and the immune system check point protein CD47.

Haemophilia A is a genetic deficiency in clotting factor VIII, which causes increased bleeding and usually affects males.

At 1245 BST, Shire shares were up 0.8% to 4,199.50p.