25 August 2006 – Cambridge Laboratories, the specialist pharmaceuticals company, today announces that its partner, OPi SA, has launched XENAZINE® 25mg (tetrabenazine) in France, following publication in the “Journal Officiel” of its reimbursement price that has been granted by the authorities. The product has been approved for use in the treatment of movement disorders associated with Huntington’s disease, and in the treatment of hemiballismus.
XENAZINE® 25mg is a neuroleptic-like agent that was exclusively licensed by Cambridge Laboratories to OPi in 2003 for commercialisation in France. The product received marketing approval for France in late 2005.
Mark Evans, Cambridge Laboratories CEO, said: “XENAZINE® has been prescribed by French neurologists for many years for the treatment of hyperkinetic movement disorders and we are delighted that it is now freely available under reimbursement by Social Security in France through our partner, OPi, for patients suffering with the debilitating effects of chorea associated with Huntington’s disease and hemiballismus.”
“In France, approximately 6,000 patients suffer from Huntington’s disease, a severe and debilitating neurodegenerative disease. XENAZINE® 25 mg is the first product approved in France for use in this indication and as such, the full availability of this product is a great progress for these patients,” commented Dr.Gilles Alberici, President and Founder of OPi SA.
About Cambridge Laboratories Cambridge Laboratories is a fast growing, dynamic and entrepreneurial pharmaceutical company with extensive product development and commercialisation expertise focused on innovative products in oncology and diseases of the central nervous system. Cambridge Laboratories has an exciting portfolio of products, both on the market and in development, derived from its proprietary discovery efforts and a carefully constructed network of international partnerships for research, development, sourcing and global commercialisation. Through this innovative business model, Cambridge Laboratories is dedicated to delivering significant value to patients, physicians and partners around the world.
About OPi SA
Founded in 1999, OPi is a European integrated biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to develop and market pharmaceuticals (small molecules and biologicals) aimed at treating patients suffering from rare and severe diseases. OPi’s primary focus is onco-haematology, with Kidrolase® and Erwinase®, an L-asparaginase franchise for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, and with a R&D portfolio of monoclonal antibodies at various stages of preclinical and clinical development. OPi is also active in other therapeutic areas, with hospital products targeting rare and severe diseases in neurology, metabolic diseases and clinical toxicology. Innovation and medical needs are the mainstays of OPi’s approach.
About XENAZINE®
XENAZINE® is a highly selective and reversible dopamine depletor that works by inhibiting vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2). XENAZINE® is the first product for which an NDA has been filed in the U.S. for treatment of chorea associated with Huntington’s disease. Chorea, a debilitating feature of a number of neurological diseases, is characterized by excessive, involuntary, and repetitive movements, which may involve the face, limbs, or the entire body. In HD, it is the result of overactivity of the neurotransmitter dopamine.
For further details:
Cambridge Laboratories
Mark Evans, CEO +44 191 296 9369 David Wildy, CFO +353 1 668 7895
Financial Dynamics
Julia Phillips/David Yates 020 7831 3113
OPi SA
Elisabeth Guichard +33 437 49 85 97
opi@orphan-opi.com
