Dilafor AB is a women’s health company based in Stockholm, Sweden, developing new therapies for women’s health indications with large unmet medical needs. The company was founded in 2003 by scientists from Karolinska Institutet, Lund University, Uppsala University and experts with significant experience from the pharmaceutical industry.

Dilafor is dedicated to the development of pharmaceutical products aimed at minimizing the risk for risk for maternal and fetal complications with labor.

The new drug candidate, tafoxiparin is in development for priming of labor. The expression “Priming of labor” is based on the mechanism of action of the drug candidate tafoxiparin. Treatment with the new drug candidate is associated with a remodeling of both the uterine and the cervical Extra Cellular Matrix (ECM) resulting in facilitation of labor and ripening of the cervix. This priming effect of both the myometrium and the cervix results in a condition open up for spontaneous onset of labor after only tafoxiparin treatment. This double effect substantially reduces the need for conventional labor induction in hospital. Furthermore, tafoxiparin, due to a good safety profile is considered to be suitable for an outpatient setting since no fetal or maternal surveillance is needed.

Initiation of labor is one of the most frequently performed obstetric procedures in the world to prevent adverse perinatal and maternal outcome, and the rate is increasing. Recent data from 2022, indicates that up to 43% of pregnant women in the US are induced into labor, with a caesarean section rate of 31%. In Europe, up to 33% of pregnant women are induced into labor. However, this procedure is not free of risks with available pharmacological drugs and methods. Operative vaginal or caesarean delivery due to myometrial hypercontractility resulting in fetal heart rate abnormalities are frequent.

New national guidelines in the United States and Europe are forcing the need for new, safe, effective and approved medical treatments to initiate labor and decrease the maternal and fetal complications. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is currently advising obstetricians to start labor at gestational week 39. The same trend is true in Europe with national guidelines recommending moving towards a gestational week 40 to start labor.

Dilafor currently has innovative programs targeting indications at phase II-III clinical stage of development. Dilafor’s proprietary substance, tafoxiparin, has recently performed a successful phase IIb clinical trial in priming of labor. Dilafor is now preparing for phase III in priming of labor.