ORPHELIA Pharma and Veriton Pharma execute a license and distribution agreement for Kigabeq® in the United Kingdom
Paris/Lyon and Weybridge, October
29th, 2019 – ORPHELIA Pharma, a French biopharmaceutical
company dedicated to the development and marketing of pediatric drugs in the
fields of oncology and neurology, announces today that it has entered into a license
and distribution agreement with Veriton Pharma to market Kigabeq® in
the United Kingdom.
Kigabeq® is the first pediatric formulation of vigabatrin, an
essential antiepileptic drug, available as scored 100 mg and 500 mg soluble tablets
for oral and (naso)gastric administration. Kigabeq®
has been developed exclusively for children aged between 1 month and 6 years
and was granted a Paediatric Use Marketing Authorization (PUMA) in September 2018. Kigabeq® is indicated in the first-line
treatment for infantile spasms, an extremely severe early childhood
encephalopathic epilepsy.
« As a renowned specialist in the treatment of epilepsy, Veriton
Pharma is an outstanding partner for Kigabeq® in the United Kingdom
» comments Hugues Bienaymé, founder and General Manager of ORPHELIA Pharma. «
After Germany, the UK is the second country where Kigabeq® will be offered to
patients. We are now actively preparing launch of Kigabeq® in France and in other
European countries with dedicated distribution partners. This new agreement
confirms the continued attractiveness for Kigabeq® in Europe ».
« At Veriton Pharma, we are dedicated to providing tailored therapy
options for people with special medical needs. We are
excited to be the exclusive partner working alongside ORPHELIA in the UK and
this collaboration aligns with Veriton’s core strategy to continuously deliver
products to help support UK healthcare.», says Chris Grimes, Chief Commercial
Officer of Veriton.
« This agreement with Veriton Pharma is an important step forward
for Kigabeq®, our first product to receive EU approval and to reach the market.
Kigabeq® addresses a significant unmet medical need in a rare and potentially
devastating form of epilepsy and it aims at improving the life of children
affected by this condition » adds Gilles Alberici, Chairman of ORPHELIA Pharma.
About infantile spasms
West Syndrome, or infantile spasms, is an early childhood epileptic
encephalopathy which combines axial spasms in cluster, a marked psychomotor retardation
and an hypsarrhythmic electroencephalogram. It is a rare disease with an
estimated incidence of around 5 per 10,000 living births. It affects infants
whose development was normal or children with impaired
cognitive development prior to spasms.
Children with infantile spasms must be treated as soon as possible to stop
spasms and improve prognosis.
About ORPHELIA Pharma
ORPHELIA Pharma is a biopharmaceutical company based in Paris and Lyon
that develops and markets drugs for the treatment of rare and serious paediatric
diseases. Our mission is to provide patients with essential hospital products
in the fields of epilepsy and oncology with formulations adapted to the paediatric
population.
Our first product, Kigabeq®, obtained its Marketing Authorization in
October 2018 and is being launched in Europe. Our second product, Ivozall®, received
a positive opinion from the CHMP in September 2019 recommending the issuance of
a European marketing authorization. ORPHELIA Pharma also conducts research
projects through academic and industrial collaborations. The main investors are
initiative OCTALFA and Pierre Fabre Medicament.
For more information, please visit www.orphelia-pharma.eu
About Veriton Pharma
Veriton Pharma is a private pharmaceutical company founded in 1997. The
company is based in Weybridge UK with regional offices in The Middle East and
Australia where it supplies products to over 25 countries worldwide. Veriton
Pharma focuses on the development of licensed medicines, predominantly for CNS,
and unlicensed medicines for patients with special requirements that licensed
products cannot meet.
The
company has a portfolio of more than 60 specialised formulations for treating
conditions across a range of therapeutic areas. Veriton Pharma’s products are
supported in the UK by a team of Regional Account Managers who are able to
access the NHS at all critical levels. Similarly, both the MEA and Australian
offices are able to provide experienced sales support within each of these
areas.
For more information, please visit www.veritonpharma.com