Biopure launches Hemopure in S Africa

US oxygen therapeutics specialist Biopure has made the first sale of its room-temperature-stable oxygen therapeutic Hemopure (bovine hemoglobin glutamer-250) in South Africa, where it is approved for the treatment of adult surgical patients who are acutely anemic and for the purpose of eliminating, delaying or reducing the need for allogenic red blood cell transfusions in this treatment group.

Biopure's chief executive, Zafiris Zafirelis, said that "this first ever commercial sale of a hemoglobin-based oxygen therapeutic for human use is a milestone in the field of oxygen therapeutics and represents decades of research and development by the company."

Mr Zafirelis added that the launch is an important step in understanding how doctors perceive and use the product outside of clinical trials, noting that the firm's initial sales targets are medical providers that have used or been trained to use Hemopure as part of a post-approval medical education program.