Bayer is ponying up over €500 million (around $697.4 million) to set up capacities for the manufacturing of the recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) hemophilia products that are currently in development at its sites in Wuppertal and Leverkusen, Germany. Two investigational therapy options for hemophilia A patients are currently listed in Phase III development.
Bayer's approved hemophilia A product is manufactured exclusively in Berkeley, CA. Establishing an additional supply source in Germany will help the company to prepare for production of the anticipated new therapy options and address the growing demand in this therapeutic area, according to Olivier Brandicourt, Ph.D., Bayer Healthcare’s CEO. “This investment will be one of the largest in the history of Bayer HealthCare and reflects our strong commitment in the hemophilia field,” he said.
According to the Morningstar Healthcare Observer, the hemophilia market is expected to grow from $8.5 billion in 2011 to $11.4 billion in 2016 (an average rate of 5.9% over the five years).