Positive top-line Ph III results for Baxter’s BAX 855 in hemophilia A

US drugmaker Baxter International (NYSE: BAX) has announced positive results from its Phase III pivotal clinical trial of BAX 855, an investigational, extended half-life recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) treatment for hemophilia A based on Advate (antihemophilic factor [recombinant]).

Top-line results from the prospective, global, multicenter Phase III study demonstrated that BAX 855 met its primary endpoint in the control and prevention of bleeding, routine prophylaxis and perioperative management for patients who were 12 years or older. Patients in a twice-weekly prophylaxis arm experienced a 95% reduction in median ABR compared to those in the on-demand arm (1.9 versus 41.5, respectively).

BAX 855 was also effective in treating bleeding episodes, 96 percent of which were controlled with one or two infusions. The half-life of BAX 855 was 1.4–1.5 times that of Advate, consistent with the findings from the Phase I study. No patients developed inhibitors to BAX 855 and no treatment-related serious adverse events, including hypersensitivity, were reported. The most common (three patients) product-related adverse event was headache.