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Ferring’s heat-stable drug could stop post-childbirth bleeding, WHO says

pharmafile | June 28, 2018 | News story | Research and Development Carbetocin, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, MSD, WHO, childbirth, pharma 

A new formulation of a drug to prevent excessive bleeding in women after childbirth could save thousands of lives, says a study co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Carbetocin, developed by Ferring Pharmaceuticals, could prove an alternative to oxytocin, which is currently recommended as the first-choice medicine for preventing excessive bleeding after childbirth.

Oxytocin needs to be stored at between 2-8°C, making it difficult to use in many countries where infrastructure and power supply can be limited, which means that many women don’t get a life-saving drug during childbirth, stated the WHO.

The study, funded by MSD and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that carbetocin is as safe and effective as oxytocin in preventing postpartum bleeding and is stable enough to be used in hot climates. It doesn’t require refrigeration and retains efficacy for at least three years.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s Director-General, said the finding was “a truly encouraging new development” that could “revolutionise our ability to keep mothers and babies alive”.

Around 70,000 women die each year worldwide due to post-partum hemorrhage and their deaths increase the risk that their newborns will also die within a month. The trial looked at 30,000 women who gave birth vaginally in 10 countries: Argentina, Egypt, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda and Britain.

Each woman was randomised to get either a single injection of heat-stable carbetocin or oxytocin immediately following birth. The results showed both drugs were effective in preventing excessive bleeding after childbirth, and the proceeding step will be to submit carbetocin for review and approval by countries wishing to use it, after which it will be considered for addition to the WHO’s list of recommended drugs for post-partum bleeding.

Jason Holmes

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