Octapharma USA is a division of Octapharma AG, one of the largest producers of human blood plasma protein products and recombinant equivalents. Established 31 years ago, Octapharma focuses on protein therapies for conditions like hemophilia A and developing treatments derived from human blood plasma and human cell lines. The company's founder envisioned providing high quality, safe protein therapies and Octapharma continues to support scientific collaboration and innovation to improve patient quality of life.

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Octapharma USA is a division of Octapharma AG, one
of the largest producers of human blood plasma protein
products and recombinant equivalents in the world, head-
quartered in Lachen, Switzerland. Established 31 years
ago, the “octa” in the company’s name is taken from the
Greek word for eight, the blood clotting factor deficient in
people with a bleeding disorder called hemophilia A, and
one of Octapharma’s primary clinical focus areas.
“Protein therapies have increased dramatically in num-
ber and frequency of use since the introduction of human
insulin, the first recombinant protein therapeutic, more
than 30 years ago,” says Flemming Nielsen, President of
Octapharma USA, which entered the American market in
2004 and is based in Hoboken. “Once a rarely used medical
treatment, protein therapies today have a vital role in almost
every field of medicine and are growing substantially.”
Many human diseases can be traced to quantitative
and qualitative deficiencies of proteins, which are found
not only in blood plasma, but also in every living cell, tis-
sue and organ. Some of the essential proteins in the body
ensure bleeding control, whereas others control physi-
ological reactions or fight off bacteria and viruses.
In 1983, when Chairman Wolfgang Marguerre
founded Octapharma, which today has more than 6,000
employees globally, his vision was to create a company
that would provide patients with protein therapies that
set the benchmark for safety and quality.
“Patients have always come first,” notes Nielsen, also
a member of the Management Board of Octapharma AG.
“In the end, doing what is right for patients has always
turned out right for Octapharma.”
Octapharma has been committed to patient care and
medical innovation since its conception, determined to
bring patients and the medical community life-enhancing
and lifesaving therapies. Today, Octapharma continues
to support scientific collaboration in many ways—all with
the goal of improving patient quality of life.
“Octapharma’s unique approach, from human to human,
has always been the patient-centered standard that sets us
apart,” according to Nielsen. “Our mission—for the safe
and optimal use of human proteins—emphasizes our belief
that therapies derived from human blood plasma and
human cell-lines can produce optimal patient benefits.”
Octapharma has continuously developed evermore
sophisticated technologies in order to provide effec-
tive biopharmaceuticals. The underlying principle for
Octapharma’s R&D program is to create therapies
based on human proteins, either purified from human
blood plasma or produced by recombinant technologies
applied to human cell-lines.
“Human proteins have been developed over millions of
years of evolution, and nature has done a very thorough job
of optimizing their efficiency and reducing side effects,”
Nielsen notes. “Octapharma is focused on bringing these
proteins to patients in the form of lifesaving therapeutics
in a way that respects the integrity of the proteins, but at
the same time avoids potential virus transmission.”
Patients in more than 100 countries are treated with
Octapharma therapies for Hematology (bleeding disor-
ders), Immunotherapy (immune disorders) and Critical Care
(emergency medicine). The U.S. is a main area of Octaphar-
ma’s growth, and the company’s long-term goal is to license
the complete Octapharma product portfolio in America.
“We are busy preparing for several anticipated product
launches by expanding our staff, bringing on more per-
sonnel with the key relationships needed to ensure our
continued success,” according to Nielsen. “We are also
increasing our presence at important medical congresses
and patient meetings, extending the leadership role that
Flemming Nielsen, right, Octapharma USA President and a Member of the Octapharma Management Board, notes that “Octapharma’s unique approach, from human to human, has always been the patient-
centered standard that sets us apart.”
Creating Novel Human Protein Therapies
Human proteins have been developed over
millions of years of evolution, and nature has done
a very thorough job of optimizing their efficiency
and reducing side effects.