Swedish Orphan Biovitrum adds new molecule to its hemophilia collaboration with Biogen Idec

Nordic biotech firm Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (STO: SOBI) has added the preclinical fusion molecule rFVIIIFc-XTEN-vWF for hemophilia to its collaboration with US biotech firm Biogen Idec (Nasdaq: BIIB). The technology is proprietary to Amunix Operating, with whom Biogen Idec signed a worldwide licensing agreement in April 2014.

Under the terms of the agreement between the companies, Sobi has the right to choose to include the fusion molecule in the collaboration, and is required to make a payment to Biogen Idec in order to include this program in the collaboration.

Geoffrey McDonough, chief executive and president of Sobi, said: "We are pleased to include this new and innovative technology in our collaboration with Biogen Idec. Although at an early stage, the XTEN technology has the potential to further extend FVIII half-life and could one day potentially become a next-generation long-acting factor for people with hemophilia A."