Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) Announces: Grant of Orphan Designation for Clonidine Lauriad(TM) in Europe

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News: Alliance Pharma SA (Euronext Paris - BIO), a company dedicated to specialty and orphan oncology products, today announced that clonidine Lauriad™ has been granted orphan designation by the European Commission in the prevention of radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer. Oral mucositis is a very frequent inflammation of the oral mucosa in head and neck cancer patients treated with radio- and chemotherapy (98,000 new patients estimated per year in Europe*). Severe oral mucositis occurs in 60% of these patients and may induce intense oral pain and eating disability requiring artificial nutritional support. In 20 to 30% of cases, patients have to be hospitalized and the disease may result in a modification or a stop of the radiotherapy treatment in more than 10% of them**. Radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis has currently no preventive cure.