Pharming and Transmedic announce distribution agreement for RUCONEST
February 14 2012 - 1:16AM
Marketwired
Biotech company Pharming Group NV ("Pharming" or "the Company")
(NYSE Euronext: PHARM) announced today that it has entered into an
agreement with Transmedic Pte Ltd. (Transmedic), a privately owned
Singapore based specialty healthcare company, for the
commercialization of RUCONEST(®) (recombinant human C1 inhibitor)
for the treatment of acute attacks of Hereditary Angioedema (HAE)
in parts of South- East Asia. The South- East Asian territories
covered under this agreement include Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
Under the agreement, Transmedic will drive the respective
regulatory approvals and purchase its commercial supplies of
RUCONEST from Pharming at a fixed transfer price.
Sijmen de Vries, CEO of Pharming, commented: "We are pleased to
have taken another step towards making RUCONEST, an innovative,
highly effective and safe replacement therapy, available to HAE
patients globally. In Transmedic we have found an experienced
commercialization partner dedicated to bringing innovative
specialty medicines to this region. Transmedic's proven ability to
cater for specialty medical care in hospitals provides an excellent
platform from which RUCONEST can be made available to doctors and
HAE patients in these countries."
Teo Kee Meng, Managing Director of Transmedic, said: "Being able
to add RUCONEST to our portfolio is another example of our
continuous drive to bring the most innovative products in specialty
medicine, to fulfill the unmet medical needs for patients and
doctors, into our rapidly developing region; we are very excited
about the potential of RUCONEST in HAE and the future indications
that RUCONEST may be developed for."
About RUCONEST (RHUCIN in non-European territories) and
Hereditary Angioedema RUCONEST(®) (INN conestat alfa) is a
recombinant version of the human protein C1 inhibitor (C1INH).
RUCONEST is produced through Pharming's proprietary technology in
milk of transgenic rabbits and in Europe is approved under the name
RUCONEST( )for treatment of acute angioedema attacks in patients
with HAE. RHUCIN(®) is an investigational drug in the U.S. and has
been granted orphan drug designation for the treatment of acute
attacks of HAE, a genetic disorder in which the patient is
deficient in or lacks a functional plasma protein C1 inhibitor,
resulting in unpredictable and debilitating episodes of intense
swelling of the extremities, face, trunk, genitals, abdomen and
upper airway. The frequency and severity of HAE attacks vary and
are most serious when they involve laryngeal edema, which can close
the upper airway and cause death by asphyxiation. According to the
U.S. Hereditary Angioedema Association, epidemiological estimates
for HAE range from one in 10,000 to one in 50,000 individuals.
About Pharming Group NV
Pharming Group NV is developing innovative products for the
treatment of unmet medical needs. RUCONEST® (RHUCIN® in
non-European territories) is a recombinant human C1 inhibitor
approved for the treatment of angioedema attacks in patients with
HAE in all 27 EU countries plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein,
and is distributed in the EU by Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (OMX:
SOBI). RHUCIN(®) is partnered with Santarus, Inc (NASDAQ: SNTS) in
North America where the drug is undergoing Phase III clinical
development. The product is also being evaluated for follow-on
indications in the areas of transplantation and reperfusion injury.
The advanced technologies of the Company include innovative and
validated platforms for the production of protein therapeutics,
technology and processes for the purification and formulation of
these products. Recently a new project, using the validated
transgenic rabbit platform, aimed at the development of recombinant
Factor VIII for the treatment of Haemophilia A was initiated was
initiated by partner, Renova Life, Inc. Additional information is
available on the Pharming website, www.pharming.com.
About Transmedic Pte Ltd
Transmedic Pte Ltd was established in 1980 and has close to 30
years of valuable industry experience, in-depth knowledge &
skills in the field of cutting- edge medical technologies and
healthcare treatment.
Today, Transmedic is a leading medical specialty partner of
world-class healthcare institutions and professionals in Southeast
Asia. With its headquarters in Singapore, branch offices in
Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong & Philippines, and
sub-distributors in Cambodia, Vietnam, Brunei & Pakistan,
Transmedic has a comprehensive regional network for the most
strategic approach to effectively distributing specialty medical
devices and specialty medicine. For more information, please visit
http://www.transmedic.com.sg.
This press release contains forward looking statements that
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors,
which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of
the Company to be materially different from the results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward
looking statements.
Press release (PDF):
http://hugin.info/132866/R/1585287/496278.pdf
This announcement is distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of
Thomson Reuters clients. The owner of this announcement warrants
that:
(i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and
other applicable laws; and
(ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and
originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Pharming Group N.V. via Thomson Reuters ONE
[HUG#1585287]
Contact Sijmen de Vries CEO T: +31 (0) 71 524 7400 Karl Keegan
CFO T: +31 (0) 71 524 7400 FTI Consulting Julia Phillips/ John
Dineen T: +44 (0)207 269 7193