Amsterdam, 1st September 2011 - SpePharm Holding B.V.(Amsterdam, The Netherlands), the pan-European specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced that it has sold the Japanese rights to Savene® to Kissei Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Matsumoto City, Nagano, Japan). As part of the transaction, SpePharm will also supply Savene® to Kissei Pharmaceutical for development and sale in Japan. Additional terms of the agreement are undisclosed.
In March 2010, SpePharm acquired worldwide rights (with the exception of North and South America) to Savene® from TopoTarget A/S (Copenhagen, Denmark). Savene® has been marketed in the EU since its approval by the EMA in July 2006 and is the only approved product for the treatment of extravasations, or leakage out of the blood stream, of certain commonly used anti-cancer drugs known as anthracyclines. If not adequately and timely treated, such extravasations can give rise to severe medical complications, including delays in cancer treatment and tissue necrosis that may require surgery or amputation.
Media contact:
SpePharm
Jean-François LABBE
Managing Director
Tel: +33 (0)1 80 18 86 22
jean-francois.labbe@spepharm.com
About Savene®
Savene® is a catalytic inhibitor of topoisomerase II, an enzyme found in the cell nucleus. Topoisomerase enzymes are essential for cell growth and proliferation, and are the target for a group of anticancer chemotherapeutics called anthracyclines. Savene blocks the topoisomerase enzyme’s activity and prevents the effect of anthracyclines. The use of dexrazoxane (the active ingredient in Savene®) to treat anthracycline extravasation is protected by patent in several countries, including the EU and Japan. For more information on Savene®, please visit www.savene.com.
About SpePharm Holding B.V.
SpePharm Holding B.V., a Dutch company with its registered office in Amsterdam, is a pan-European specialty pharmaceutical company focused on acquiring, registering and marketing high medical value specialty medicines essentially for the hospital market. Particular areas of therapeutic interest are oncology, critical and supportive care.
SpePharm was founded in September 2006 by Jean-François Labbé, a former top executive of Hoechst Marion Roussel and Parke Davis with over 30 years of experience in international pharmaceutical management, together with leading life science investment firms TVM Capital and Signet Healthcare Partners (part of the Sanders Morris Harris Group). Paul Capital Healthcare made an equity investment in SpePharm in August 2008 and provided additional non-dilutive financing. In March 2010, a secured convertible debenture was obtained from Paladin Labs, Inc. (Montreal, Canada). SpePharm has a commercial presence in the major EU hospital markets and has partners in markets outside of the EU (LATAM, Russia, etc). SpePharm currently markets the following products in Europe: Savene®, MuGard®, Xerotin®, PROther® and the Dantrium® brands. For further information on SpePharm, see www.spepharm.com.
About Kissei Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
Kissei Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. was founded in 1946 and has grown into one of Japan’s leading pharmaceutical companies. Kissei’s management vision is to be an R&D-oriented pharmaceutical company that contributes to the health of people around the world through developing and offering innovative drugs. Kissei is actively pursuing collaborations with many companies to strengthen its R&D pipeline and also promoting global expansion by licensing out the original agents as an important management strategy. For more information on Kissei, please visit the Company’s international website at www.kissei.co.jp
