Therapeutic Areas

Reproductive Health

Up to a quarter of all couples may experience problems in conceiving a child, a figure that appears to be rising partly due to the trend to delay pregnancy until an older age. The World Health Organization estimates that there are about 60 to 80 million cases of infertility around the world.

Treatment of infertility is one of Ferring’s key areas of expertise and we are firmly committed to progress in the field of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).

FSH is the first recombinant follicle stimulating hormone derived from a human cell line.

Endocrinology

Many children are smaller than average during childhood yet end up reaching a normal adult height. But for some, a more normal adult height will not be achieved without treatment with supplemental human growth hormone (hGH). These include children with Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) and Turner’s syndrome.

One out of 2,500 to 5,000 children is born with a deficient growth hormone production resulting in impaired physical development, and another one in 2,000 to 2,500 girls are born with the genetic defect Turner’s syndrome. Both disorders may result in decreased final height, which may be improved by supplemental somatropin.

Recombinant Human Growth Hormone (Somatropin)

BTG’s recombinant human growth hormone was developed in the 1980s, first gained regulatory approval in 1988. It is identical to natural human growth hormone synthesized by the pituitary gland.

Orthopaedics

Ferring’s product EUFLEXXA® (1% sodium hyaluronate) is an ultra-high purity hyaluronate, called hyaluronic acid (HA). HA is the natural substance found in the fluid that surrounds a healthy knee joint and helps cushion, lubricate, and protect the knee as it moves throughout the day.

BTG’s NaHA is a highly purified, high molecular weight preparation, and, in contrast to other NaHA products extracted from avian sources, is produced using an efficient and proprietary bacterial fermentation process.

EUFLEXXA® has regulatory approval in more than 30 countries, and is marketed in North America, Europe and Asia. In Israel, the product is marketed under the trade name Arthrease® by Ferring Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

EUFLEXXA® is injected into the knees of osteoarthritis sufferers to improve movement and reduce pain.

Ophthalmology

Biolon®, first introduced in 1993, is an injectable system containing 1% fermentation-derived sodium hyaluronate (NaHA) used as a viscoelastic aid in cataract and other ophthalmic surgery.

NaHA is a naturally occurring polysaccharide, ubiquitous in nature and chemically identical in all species. It is found in the vitreous and aqueous humor of the eye, in the synovial fluid surrounding knee and other joints, in skin and in other organs.

This high molecular weight, ultra-pure sodium hyaluronate, is manufactured in Bio-Technology General’s Be’er Tuvia facility using an efficient biosynthetic process. It is used to lubricate the eye and maintain low intraocular pressure while facilitating surgery to reduce trauma to the corneal endothelium.