GTC Receives Payment Following Opinion on ATryn

GTC Biotherapeutics Inc. (Framingham, MA, www.gtc-bio.com) has been awarded a $1 million payment from LEO Pharma A/S (Ballerup, Denmark, www.leo-pharma.dk) for receiving a positive opinion on a market authorization application for ATryn, from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA).

ATryn is a recombinant form of human antithrombin, a protein in human plasma known to have anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory properties. CHMP has recommended that ATryn be granted market authorization for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (vein blockage resulting from particles broken off from blood clots) in surgery of patients with congenital antithrombin deficiency. Final market authorization is expected in about three months, which will facilitate an additional $2 million milestone payment from LEO Pharma.