MILAN, ITALY--(Marketwire - April 07, 2010) -
Recordati announced that it has signed a
license agreement with Esteve, a leading pharmaceutical company in the
Spanish market, for the marketing and sales in Spain of pitavastatin.
Pitavastatin is a novel "statin" for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia.
Esteve will co-market the product together with Recordati España, the
Spanish subsidiary of the Recordati group. The drug is currently being
evaluated by the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
(MHRA), and is expected to be launched in Europe in the second half of
2010.
Pitavastatin is a statin licensed by Recordati from the Japanese
pharmaceutical company Kowa for the European market. It has been available
on the market in Japan since 2003 and was recently approved by the U.S.
FDA. This drug promises to be an effective new treatment for dyslipidemia,
a condition characterized by altered levels of blood cholesterol and other
lipids and associated with an increased risk for heart disease and stroke.
In controlled clinical trials involving more than 1,600 patients it was
shown that pitavastatin induces a reduction in LDL-cholesterol (the "bad"
cholesterol that contributes to formation of atherosclerotic plaques) and
an increase in HDL-cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol that is removed from
the arterial walls), a dual effect that should be regarded as highly
relevant, since it appears to reduce the relative risk for cardiovascular
complications. It has been shown that pitavastatin is minimally metabolized
by the enzymes of the Cytochrome P-450 family, enzymes that play a key role
in the metabolism of many drugs, thus minimizing the potential risk for
unpredictable responses to treatment or for interaction with drugs
metabolized by this pathway. Pitavastatin has an excellent safety profile
and represents a new effective and safe treatment for dyslipidemia.
"We are delighted to have Esteve as our co-marketer in Spain for this new
drug" stated Giovanni Recordati, Chairman and CEO. "I am confident that the
contribution of Esteve, a leading pharmaceutical company in the Spanish
market, will be fundamental to the success of this new therapeutic option
in Spain".
Recordati, established in 1926, is a European pharmaceutical group, listed
on the Italian Stock Exchange (Reuters RECI.MI, Bloomberg REC IM, ISIN IT
0003828271),with a total staff of over 2,800, dedicated to the research,
development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals. It has
headquarters in Milan, Italy, operations in the main European countries,
and a growing presence in the new markets of Central and Eastern Europe. A
European field force of around 1,400 medical representatives promotes a
wide range of innovative pharmaceuticals, both proprietary and under
license, in a number of therapeutic areas including a specialized business
dedicated to treatments for rare diseases. Recordati's current and growing
coverage of the European pharmaceutical market makes it a partner of choice
for new product licenses from companies which do not have European
marketing organizations. Recordati is committed to the research and
development of new drug entities within the cardiovascular and urogenital
therapeutic areas and of treatments for rare diseases. Consolidated revenue
for 2009 was EUR 747.5 million, operating income was EUR 162.2 million
and net income was EUR 110.6 million.
For further information:
Recordati website: www.recordati.com
Investor Relations Media Relations
Marianne Tatschke Claudio Rossetti (Echo Comunicazione d'Impresa)
(39)0248787393 (39)02 62694736
e-mail: inver@recordati.it e-mail: crossetti@echocom.it
Statements contained in this release, other than historical facts, are
"forward-looking statements" (as such term is defined in the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements are based on
currently available information, on current best estimates, and on
assumptions believed to be reasonable. This information, these estimates
and assumptions may prove to be incomplete or erroneous, and involve
numerous risks and uncertainties, beyond the Company's control. Hence,
actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by
such forward-looking statements. All mentions and descriptions of Recordati
products are intended solely as information on the general nature of the
company's activities and are not intended to indicate the advisability of
administering any product in any particular instance.
This information is provided by HUGIN
