Ferring Pharma Collaborates With ICF On Development Of A Potential New Treatment For Anal Fissures With A Focus On Improving Quality Of Care For IBD Patients

SAINT-PREX, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Brazil-based Instituto de Ciências Farmacêuticas (ICF) today announced a research collaboration aimed at developing a mucoadhesive rectal delivery system to treat anal fissures and to improve quality of care for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

“Ferring is committed to enhancing the quality of life and quality of care of IBD patients through innovative scientific research”

Anal fissures are a common complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). They can represent a challenging problem for patients with IBD but have been overlooked, with current treatments not sufficient to give long-lasting pain relief and promote healing. ¹

“Ferring is committed to enhancing the quality of life and quality of care of IBD patients through innovative scientific research,” said Alan Harris, Senior Vice President R&D Executive Office, Ferring Pharmaceuticals. “This collaboration is focused on meeting a number of unmet needs - from alleviating the pain of anal fissures, to promoting faster healing, increasing patient adherence and developing more convenient dosing.”

“Our collaboration also aims to address current unmet needs of physicians,” said Leonardo Teixeira, CEO, ICF. “We want to develop a ready-to-use and patient-compliant delivery system with mucoadhesive properties, to provide doctors with an alternative to current topical treatments and surgical options.”

ENDS

About Anal Fissure

Anal fissure is a tear in the lining of the lower rectum (anal canal) that causes pain during bowel movements. It is associated with constipation (due to the passage of bulky and hard stools), frequent bowel movement and diarrhoea, trauma in the anal area, diet poor in fibres and high in fat and fried foods, and in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. One cause of fissures is increased tension (called resting pressure) and spasm in the internal anal sphincter. Current treatments are not sufficient enough to give long-lasting pain relief and promote healing.

About Ferring Pharmaceuticals

Headquartered in Switzerland, Ferring Pharmaceuticals is a research-driven, specialty biopharmaceutical group active in global markets. The company identifies, develops and markets innovative products in the areas of reproductive health, urology, gastroenterology, endocrinology and orthopaedics. Ferring has its own operating subsidiaries in nearly 60 countries and markets its products in 110 countries. To learn more about Ferring or its products please visit www.ferring.com.

About ICF, Instituto de Ciências Farmacêuticas

ICF (Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences) is a Brazil-based company dedicated to research and drug development in many disease areas. Active in over 30 countries, ICF has 15 years of experience and also focuses on Bioequivalence studies (BE) and in vitro analysis. ICF is a notable reference for industries and institutions from several countries. To learn more about ICF please visit www.icf.com.

¹ D’Ugo S, Stasi E, Gaspari AL, Sileri P. Hemorrhoids and anal fissures in inflammatory bowel disease. Minerva Gastroenterol Dietol. 2015 Dec;61(4):223-33. PubMed.