For the first time, it may be possible to demonstrate that a heparin can be used in a completely new therapeutic setting, opening up opportunities that have not been explored to date. At the centre of this innovation is Tafoxiparin, the lead drug candidate currently in Phase III clinical development for labour preparation.
Unlike conventional heparins, Tafoxiparin is a heparin without anticoagulant and antithrombotic activity, acting on the cervical ripening process in the very early stages of labour. Results from Phase II clinical studies, funded by Opocrin Group, showed that daily at-home administration of Tafoxiparin in women at term can support the spontaneous onset of labour, reducing or avoiding the need for hospital admission and medical induction. Even when labour did not start spontaneously, treated patients showed improved cervical readiness, with significantly shorter hospital stays and induction times.
If the Phase III trial confirms these preliminary findings, Tafoxiparin could represent a meaningful innovation in the management of term pregnancy. To date, there are no approved medical therapies specifically indicated to support the natural onset of labour in women close to full term.
The study will be funded by Exeltis, a pharmaceutical company within the multinational Insud Pharma and a leader in Women’s Health, following the signing of a binding term sheet with Dilafor AB, which holds the intellectual property of the drug candidate, for a semi-global exclusive licence (excluding China, Japan, Macao and Taiwan) covering the development and commercialization of the medicine.
