Shire plc has entered into an agreement with Sanquin Blood Supply, the manufacturer of Cinryze (C1 esterase inhibitor [human]), providing Shire access to its manufacturing technology and allowing Shire to source additional manufacturers to meet the growing demand for the product.

The specific terms of the agreement are confidential, but involve payments to Sanquin on achievement of certain milestones, including a successful technical transfer to a second source manufacturer. Sanquin will continue to serve as a key partner with Shire to increase global supply of Cinryze.

“We wanted the freedom to operate and expand in a way that makes strategic sense for our business,” said Flemming Ornskov, CEO, Shire, in a company release. “When Shire acquired ViroPharma in January 2014, we inherited an arrangement under which Sanquin was the exclusive manufacturer for Cinryze. We're pleased that Sanquin was open to expanding our partnership and agreeing to support us as we increase production options for this important therapy.”

Cinryze is used for the prophylactic treatment of hereditary angioedema (HAE). HAE is a rare genetic disease characterized by recurrent sudden attacks of swelling of the skin or the mucous membranes which can be disfiguring, painful and potentially life-threatening in the case of laryngeal attacks. One of Shire's top selling products, Cinryze generated $503 million in sales in 2014.

Source: Shire