Glassia is indicated as a chronic augmentation and maintenance therapy in adults with emphysema due to congenital deficiency of alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT), an under-diagnosed hereditary condition characterised by a low level of alpha-1 protein in the blood.
Glassia, which is administered once a week and works by augmenting the levels of AAT in the blood and lungs, has received FDA approval on 9 July 2010.
Through a definitive agreement with Kamada, Baxter is the exclusive distributor for Glassia in the US and other markets.
US Alpha-1 Foundation president John Walsh said that they welcome the availability of new therapies that give clinicians more convenient options when choosing AAT deficiency augmentation therapies for their patients.
Baxter BioScience US Biopharmaceuticals business vice president and general manager John Shannon said that with the introduction of Glassia, specialists have the convenience of a ready-to-use liquid presentation that can be administered without reconstitution.