Pioneers in Hemophilia and Hemostasis

Just as with our diabetes group, our BioPharmaceuticals division is dedicated to developing and delivering products that can change and even save people's lives. This diverse and highly skilled unit pioneers new therapies developed through biotechnology. The group embodies our deep commitment to the treatment of hemophilia and growth hormone disorders.

rFVIIa and the Compassionate-Use Program
In the 1980s, Novo Nordisk scientists developed a genetically engineered form of Factor VII protein, recombinant Factor VIIa (rFVIIa). First created to treat a subgroup of hemophilia patients who developed antibodies, or inhibitors, to the traditional hemophilia treatments with Factor VIII and IX, recombinant Factor VIIa (rFVIIa) has enabled many such inhibitor patients to lead more normal lives. Introduced through the Novo Nordisk compassionate-use program and available worldwide beginning in the 1990s, rFVIIa provides effective treatment to stop and control bleeding episodes. It has been a major advancement in the treatment of hemophilia patients for whom there were no other options.

The future of rFVIIa is an exciting prospect for Novo Nordisk and the BioPharmaceuticals team. We believe rFVIIa can help save many more lives, and we are expanding our research to explore how to make this happen. We are conducting and designing clinical studies using rFVIIa as a general hemostatic agent in non-hemophilia patients who bleed excessively.