CSL Vifor is a global specialty
pharmaceuticals company in the treatment areas of
iron deficiency
Iron deficiency, or sideropenia, is the state in which a body lacks enough iron to supply its needs. Iron is present in all cells in the human body and has several vital functions, such as carrying oxygen to the tissues from the lungs as a key ...
,
dialysis,
nephrology &
rare disease
A rare disease is any disease that affects a small percentage of the population. In some parts of the world, an orphan disease is a rare disease whose rarity means there is a lack of a market large enough to gain support and resources for discov ...
. It is headquartered in
Switzerland and consists of CSL Vifor, Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma (VFMCRP) and Sanifit Therapeutics.
History
* In 1872, Caspar Friedrich Hausmann founds a pharmacy in
St. Gallen
, neighboring_municipalities = Eggersriet, Gaiserwald, Gossau, Herisau (AR), Mörschwil, Speicher (AR), Stein (AR), Teufen (AR), Untereggen, Wittenbach
, twintowns = Liberec (Czech Republic)
, website = ...
* In 1927, 16 pharmacists establish a joint purchasing centre, Collaboration Pharmaceutique SA, which went on to be renamed
Galenica AG in 1933 (later to be renamed Vifor Pharma Ltd. in 2017)
* In 1944, The pharmacist René Grosclaude founds Vifor Ltd; the company produces
over-the-counter
Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a requirement for a prescription from a healthcare professional, as opposed to prescription drugs, which may be supplied only to consumers possessing a valid prescr ...
medicines
* In 1983, Hausmann AG laboratories is acquired by Galenica
* In 1991, Vifor (International) Ltd. is founded and takes over the work of Laboratorien Hausmann in developing new iron products
* In 2008, Vifor Pharma is founded following the $915 million acquisition of a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
company, Aspreva Pharmaceutical Corporation,
Vifor Ltd. and Vifor (international) Ltd. are integrated in Vifor Pharma.
* In 2009, Galenica acquires OM Pharma, a Swiss biotechnology company
* In 2010, Vifor Pharma Group and Fresenius Medical Care found the joint company Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma (VFMCRP)
* In 2014, Galenica is divided into two divisions, Vifor Pharma and Galenica Santé
* In 2016, Relypsa, a US based biotechnology company, is purchased for $1.53 billion
* In 2017, the IPO of Galenica Santé (GALE) is completed and listed on the
Swiss Stock Exchange. Galenica AG (GALE) and Vifor Pharma AG (VIFN) are listed as independent entities since
* In 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration FDA approved a Supplemental New Drug Application for the potassium binder Veltassa with or without food
* In 2019, Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma (VFMCRP) received the Swiss Success Award from the non-profit organisation Swiss Biotech Association
* In 2020, Vifor Pharma sells 100% of OM Pharma to Optimus Holding Limited for CHF 435 million
* In 2020, Vifor Pharma also forms a Joint Venture agreement with Fresenius Kabi for the market in the People's Republic of China in the area of intravenous iron deficiency treatments
* In the same year, a deal with Cara Therapeutics for the commercialisation of Difelikefalin to treat CKD-aP patients has been signed.
* In 2021 Vifor Pharma concluded a licensing agreement for the commercialisation of sparsentan in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
* In the same year, Tavneos was approved in the US, Japan and the EU. Korsuva / Kapruvia reached approval in the United States and the EU.
* In November 2021, Vifor Pharma Group acquired Sanifit with its novel inhibitor of vascular calcification SNF472 for the treatment of
calcific uremic arteriolopathy (CUA) and
peripheral artery disease
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is an abnormal narrowing of arteries other than those that supply the heart or brain. When narrowing occurs in the heart, it is called coronary artery disease, and in the brain, it is called cerebrovascular dis ...
(PAD) in patients with end-stage kidney disease. On the same day, Vifor announced the acquisition of Swiss-based Inositec who develops treatments for soft tissue and vascular calcification disorders and
aortic valve stenosis (AVS).
* In December 2021
CSL Limited
CSL Limited is an Australian multinational specialty biotechnology company that researches, develops, manufactures, and markets products to treat and prevent serious human medical conditions. CSL's product areas include blood plasma derivative ...
announced it would acquire Vifor Pharma for
CHF 10.9 billion (US$11.7 billion).
The capital raising is considered one of the ten largest secondary-market deals worldwide in 2021.
* In August 2022 the acquisition of Vifor Pharma by Australian company CSL was completed. Vifor Pharma became CSL Vifor.
Activity
CSL Vifor is active in the treatment of
iron deficiency
Iron deficiency, or sideropenia, is the state in which a body lacks enough iron to supply its needs. Iron is present in all cells in the human body and has several vital functions, such as carrying oxygen to the tissues from the lungs as a key ...
and
iron deficiency anaemia
Iron-deficiency anemia is anemia caused by a lack of iron. Anemia is defined as a decrease in the number of red blood cells or the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. When onset is slow, symptoms are often vague such as feeling tired, weak, shor ...
.
The Group also has a focus on the management of conditions in
nephrology,
cardiology
Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular h ...
and
rare diseases
A rare disease is any disease that affects a small percentage of the population. In some parts of the world, an orphan disease is a rare disease whose rarity means there is a lack of a market large enough to gain support and resources for discove ...
. Iron deficiency treatments Ferinject and Injectafer were accountable for more than a third of its revenues in 2021.
The dialysis segment with the
Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agent
Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA) are medications which stimulate the bone marrow to make red blood cells. They are used to treat anemia due to end stage kidney disease, chemotherapy, major surgery, or certain treatments in HIV/AIDS. In ...
s Mircera
(
Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta
Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta is the active ingredient of a drug marketed by Hoffmann-La Roche under the brand name Mircera. Mircera is a long-acting erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA) indicated for the treatment of patients wit ...
) and Retacrit (
Epoetin alfa-epbx) as well as the phosphate binder Velphoro (
Sucroferric oxyhydroxide) has a similarly high turnover as the iron deciency area, which also includes the orally administered treatment Maltofer (
iron polymaltose). The
potassium
Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K (from Neo-Latin ''kalium'') and atomic number19. Potassium is a silvery-white metal that is soft enough to be cut with a knife with little force. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmosph ...
binder Veltassa (
Patiromer) is the most selling treatment in the nephrology segment.
CSL Vifor is a member of a number of trade associations that advocate on behalf of the
pharmaceutical industry
The pharmaceutical industry discovers, develops, produces, and markets drugs or pharmaceutical drugs for use as medications to be administered to patients (or self-administered), with the aim to cure them, vaccinate them, or alleviate symptoms. ...
and for the policy positions commonly shared, this includes the
(EFPIA).
CSL Vifor has formed collaborations with pharmaceutical companies like American Regent,
Roche
F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, commonly known as Roche, is a Swiss multinational healthcare company that operates worldwide under two divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. Its holding company, Roche Holding AG, has shares listed on the SIX ...
,
Fresenius Medical Care
Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA is an American- German healthcare company which provides kidney dialysis services through a network of 4,171 outpatient dialysis centers, serving 345,425 patients. The company primarily treats end-stage renal ...
, Fresenius Kabi
and
Pfizer
Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered on 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York City. The company was established in 1849 in New York by two German entrepreneurs, Charles Pfizer ...
. It has also partnered with biotechs such as Akebia, Angion Biomedica, Cara Therapeutics, ChemoCentryx and Travere Therapeutics.
Structure and operations
CSL Vifor is present in
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north ...
and
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
,
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
, the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
and
Asia Pacific
Asia-Pacific (APAC) is the part of the world near the western Pacific Ocean. The Asia-Pacific region varies in area depending on context, but it generally includes East Asia, Russian Far East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and Pacific Isla ...
and is active in over 100 countries all around the world.
R&D sites of the group are located in Switzerland.
The company is headquartered in St. Gallen where its core manufacturing capabilities on active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) production of its iron therapies are concentrated.
The operational headquarters for sales, marketing, medicine and registration are located in
Glattbrugg
Opfikon (; in the local Swiss German dialect: )Andres Kristol/Gabrielle Schmid, ''Opfikon ZH (Bülach)'' in: ''Dictionnaire toponymique des communes suisses – Lexikon der schweizerischen Gemeindenamen – Dizionario toponomastico dei comuni sviz ...
.
[ CSL Vifor maintains a research site on iron deficiency in the Bio-Technopark in ]Schlieren
Schlieren ( ; , ) are optical inhomogeneities in transparent media that are not necessarily visible to the human eye. Schlieren physics developed out of the need to produce high-quality lenses devoid of such inhomogeneities. These inhomogeneiti ...
. The Zurich-based subsidiary Inositec is an ETH
(colloquially)
, former_name = eidgenössische polytechnische Schule
, image = ETHZ.JPG
, image_size =
, established =
, type = Public
, budget = CHF 1.896 billion (2021)
, rector = Günther Dissertori
, president = Joël Mesot
, a ...
spin-off. Sanifit Therapeutics is based in Palma de Mallorca.anaemia
Anemia or anaemia (British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, or a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin. When anemia comes on slowly, t ...
, and Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma, focused on kidney disease patients, including anaemia, mineral and bone management, cardio-renal conditions, and rare diseases.Evotec
Evotec SE is a publicly listed drug discovery and development company headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. The company operates globally, largely through external alliances with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, ...
to build a nephrology therapeutic pipeline.
Therapeutic areas
Iron deficiency
Iron deficiency, or sideropenia, is the state in which a body lacks enough iron to supply its needs. Iron is present in all cells in the human body and has several vital functions, such as carrying oxygen to the tissues from the lungs as a key ...
is a condition in which iron availability is insufficient to meet body needs. It affects one out of three women of reproductive age worldwide.Iron-deficiency anemia
Iron-deficiency anemia is anemia caused by a lack of iron. Anemia is defined as a decrease in the number of red blood cells or the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. When onset is slow, symptoms are often vague such as feeling tired, weak, shor ...
,pruritus
Itch (also known as pruritus) is a sensation that causes the desire or reflex to scratch. Itch has resisted many attempts to be classified as any one type of sensory experience. Itch has many similarities to pain, and while both are unpleasant ...
,hyperphosphatemia
Hyperphosphatemia is an electrolyte disorder in which there is an elevated level of phosphate in the blood. Most people have no symptoms while others develop calcium deposits in the soft tissue. Often there is also low calcium levels which can ...
.hyperkalemia
Hyperkalemia is an elevated level of potassium (K+) in the blood. Normal potassium levels are between 3.5 and 5.0mmol/L (3.5 and 5.0mEq/L) with levels above 5.5mmol/L defined as hyperkalemia. Typically hyperkalemia does not cause symptoms. Occasi ...
,hyperparathyroidism
Hyperparathyroidism is an increase in parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in the blood. This occurs from a disorder either within the parathyroid glands (primary hyperparathyroidism) or as response to external stimuli (secondary hyperparathyroidism). ...
,ANCA-associated vasculitis
Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) are a group of autoantibodies, mainly of the IgG type, against antigens in the cytoplasm of neutrophils (the most common type of white blood cell) and monocytes. They are detected as a blood t ...
,beta-thalassemia
Beta thalassemias (β thalassemias) are a group of inherited blood disorders. They are forms of thalassemia caused by reduced or absent synthesis of the beta chains of hemoglobin that result in variable outcomes ranging from severe anemia to cl ...
sickle cell disease
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of blood disorders typically inherited from a person's parents. The most common type is known as sickle cell anaemia. It results in an abnormality in the oxygen-carrying protein haemoglobin found in red b ...
,glomerulosclerosis
Glomerulosclerosis is the hardening of the glomeruli in the kidney. It is a general term to describe scarring of the kidneys' tiny blood vessels, the glomeruli, the functional units in the kidney that filter urea from the blood.
Proteinuria (larg ...
,IgA nephropathy
IgA nephropathy (IgAN), also known as Berger's disease () (and variations), or synpharyngitic glomerulonephritis, is a disease of the kidney (or nephropathy) and the immune system; specifically it is a form of glomerulonephritis or an inflammati ...
Acute kidney injury
Acute kidney injury (AKI), previously called acute renal failure (ARF), is a sudden decrease in kidney function that develops within 7 days, as shown by an increase in serum creatinine or a decrease in urine output, or both.
Causes of AKI are c ...
(CSA-AKI).
Products and in-Licensing
Apart from its own manufactured iron products, CSL Vifor enters partnerships and is in-licensing products at an advanced stage of development additionally to its own research and development (R&D). CSL Vifor has concluded cooperation and licensing agreements with both large pharmaceutical companies and smaller biotech companies.Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta
Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta is the active ingredient of a drug marketed by Hoffmann-La Roche under the brand name Mircera. Mircera is a long-acting erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA) indicated for the treatment of patients wit ...
) (in-licensed from Roche)
* Veltassa ( Patiromer)
* Velphoro ( Sucroferric oxyhydroxide)
* Venofer (Iron sucrose
Intravenous iron sucrose is a commonly used treatment for iron deficiency anemia. Iron sucrose replaces iron in the blood to foster red blood cell production in patients with chronic kidney disease. Iron sucrose has the trade name Venofer.
Chem ...
)
* Retacrit (Erythropoiesis-stimulating agent
Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA) are medications which stimulate the bone marrow to make red blood cells. They are used to treat anemia due to end stage kidney disease, chemotherapy, major surgery, or certain treatments in HIV/AIDS. In ...
) (in-licensed from Pfizer)
Pipeline productsCalcifediol
Calcifediol, also known as calcidiol, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, or 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (abbreviated 25(OH)D3), is a form of vitamin D produced in the liver by hydroxylation of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) by the enzyme vitamin D 25-hydroxylas ...
) (in-licensed from OPKO Health)
* Sparsentan (in-licensed from Travere Therapeutics)
* SNF472
* Tavneos ( Avacopan) (in-licensed from ChemoCentryx Inc.)
* Vadadustat (in-licensed from Akebia Therapeutics)
* Vamifeport (developed by CSL Vifor)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vifor Pharma AG
Swiss brands
Pharmaceutical companies of Switzerland
Companies based in St. Gallen (city)
Chemical companies of Switzerland
Companies listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange
Swiss companies established in 1927
Pharmaceutical companies established in 1927