Speedel looks to partner thrombin inhibitor

Partnership opportunity

Speedel Holding of Basel, Switzerland, has decided that it will not continue development of its thrombin inhibitor SPP200 on its own and is now searching for a commercialisation partner.

SPP200 is a long-acting direct thrombin inhibitor designed to prevent the formation of clots in vascular grafts of patients undergoing haemodialysis. A US phase II trial in 127 patients showed the compound is safe and also provided clinically relevant and significant efficacy data.

Vascular graft occlusion occurs in patients when a clot forms in the graft connecting a patient to the dialysis machine. The study compared the safety profile of SPP200 to that of unfractionated heparin which, in the US, is the standard anti-coagulant in haemodialysis.

Patients on chronic haemodialysis must generally be connected to a dialysis machine via a graft several times a week. Maintenance of the graft is one of the most challenging problems. Anti-coagulants are given to reduce clotting during dialysis sessions, but despite these precautions the grafts still have a clotting rate of 30 to 65 per cent a year.

SPP200 is designed to prevent clot formation in the graft. It has a long duration of action (over 100 hours) and is not removed from the patient's body during dialysis, unlike unfractionated heparin.