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Cosmo announces Licensing Agreement with Dr. Falk Pharma for Rifamycin SV MMX®
Cosmo announces Licensing Agreement with Dr. Falk Pharma for Rifamycin SV MMX®
Lainate, Italy – November 24, 2008 –
Cosmo Pharmaceuticals SpA, (SIX: COPN)
announced today an agreement with Dr. Falk Pharma GmbH for the
licensing of
Rifamycin SV MMX® (CB-01-11). The agreement grants Falk an
exclusive license for
all of Europe (excluding Italy) and Australia.
Rifamycin SV MMX® is a broad spectrum, semi-synthetic
antibiotic that is not
systemically absorbed when taken orally. Through the use of
Cosmo’s MMX®
technology, which delivers the active ingredient into the colon,
bacteria in the upper
gastro intestinal tract that are important for vitamin synthesis
are not sterilized. Given
that it is practically not absorbed, CB-01-11 is potentially also
applicable for the
treatment of long term respectively recurring infections in the
colon.
Mauro Ajani, CEO of Cosmo, said: “I am very proud of this
agreement because it
formalizes our relationship with one of the most respected European
pharmaceutical
companies and further validates our innovative MMX® technology.
Falk is one of the
pioneers of the IBD sector and has a very experienced and extensive
distribution
network in Europe.”
About Colon Infections
The most common colon
infection is known as traveller’s diarrhoea. It afflicts
between
20% and 50% of all international travellers. Travellers diarrhoea
is primarily caused
by the ingestion of food or water tainted by bacteria.
Diverticulitis is the inflammation of diverticula of the colon that
strikes mainly elderly
people. With increasing age muscular elasticity decreases also in
colon muscles.
This allows the formation of extrusions of the wall of the colon
called diverticula. 60 %
of all persons over 60 have diverticula. When faecal matter gets
trapped in the
diverticula they become infected and inflamed.
Hepatic encephalopathy is a neurological disorder related to the
liver impairment. In
the presence of liver dysfunction, the ammonia produced in
intestine by bacteria is
not neutralized by the liver, so that it reaches the brain
producing toxic effects.
Antibiotics are necessary to reduce the bacterial production of
ammonia. It affects
around 20% of all people with cirrhosis of the liver.
Clostridium Difficile Associated Diarrhoea (CDAD) is primarily a
hospital acquired
infection of the colon that mainly affects elderly persons. This
disease affects around
500’000 persons a year in the US and it can have epidemic
dimensions that
frequently lead to fatalities.
About Cosmo Pharmaceuticals
Cosmo is a
speciality pharma company that aims to become a global leader
in
optimised therapies for certain gastrointestinal diseases. The
company’s proprietary
clinical development pipeline specifically addresses innovative
treatments for IBD,
such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, and colon
infections. Cosmo’s first
product is LIALDA™ / MEZAVANT® that is licensed globally
to Giuliani and Shire Plc.
Cosmo’s proprietary MMX® technology is at the core of the
company’s product
pipeline and was developed from its expertise in formulating and
manufacturing
gastrointestinal drugs for international clients at its GMP (Good
Manufacturing
Practice) facilities in Lainate, Italy. For further information on
Cosmo, please visit the
Company’s website:
www.cosmopharmaceuticals.com
About Dr. Falk Pharma
Dr. Falk Pharma is a
private German, research driven, specialty pharmaceutical
company active in global markets. The company identifies, develops
and markets
innovative products in the areas of hepatology and
gastroenterology. It has affiliates
in several European countries and an extensive network of partners
in the remaining
European countries. The company out-licenses its products for sale
outside of the EU.
To learn more about Dr. Falk Pharma or its products please
visit
www.drfalkpharma.de.
For more information please contact:
Dr.
Chris Tanner, CFO and Head of Investor Relations
Cosmo Pharmaceuticals
Tel: +39 02 9333 7617
Fax: +39 02 9333 7663
chris.tanner@cosmopharmaceuticals.com
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