Cangene Corporation has entered a European marketing and distribution agreement for its WinRho SDF with Baxter Healthcare Corporation. Baxter will market and distribute the product in Europe, excluding Portugal, for treating a blood clotting disorder called immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). It intends to launch in the United Kingdom in the near term.

"Europe is a large new market for Cangene and we believe that Baxter has the right presence and valuable expertise in Europe," said Dr. John Langstaff, Cangene's president and CEO.

ITP, or immune thrombocytopenic purpura, is an autoimmune disease where the patient's immune system mistakenly attacks the platelets, which are necessary for normal blood clotting. As a consequence, the number of platelets in the patients' bloodstream can drop below critical levels, resulting in bleeding of the mucosae and internal organs such as the brain. WinRho SDF is purified from specially collected human plasma using a combination of solvent-detergent and nanofiltration to inactivate viruses. Cangene sells WinRho SDF in about 35 countries worldwide and manufactures the drug in its facility in Winnipeg, Canada.