Lupin announces acquisition of worldwide rights for its nasal spray, AllerNaze
01 Jul 2009
Mumbai based pharmaceutical company Lupin has announced the acquisition of worldwide rights for its intra-nasal steroid (INS) product, AllerNaze nasal spray, from Collegium Pharmaceutical.
The product will be first tried in the US. Lupin expects to expand its US sales force as it launches AllerNaze, building on its presence in pediatrics and expanding into other key specialties such as allergy/immunology and otolaryngology.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already approved AllerNaze, an aqueous-based intranasal steroid indicated for the once daily treatment of nasal symptoms associated with both seasonal allergic rhinitis and perennial allergic rhinitis in adults and children twelve 12 years of age and older.
The safety and efficacy of AllerNaze has been tested with controlled clinical trials. The studies assessed the safety and effectiveness of AllerNaze in treating the symptoms (runny nose, nasal itching, sneezing, and nasal congestion) in patients with allergic rhinitis.
The US alone reports up to 40 million cases every year that severely affect quality of life of such patients. The nasal spray market generates $2.5 billion in annual sales in the US alone.
Commenting on the development, Dr Kamal Sharma, managing director, Lupin, said, ''Our investment in AllerNaze reflects our commitment to expand our brand business in the US and also in some select markets.''
Vinita Gupta, president and CEO, Lupin, said ''We are excited about Lupin's first NDA acquisition and this opportunity to expand our US brand business into another specialist segment. The AllerNaze acquisition demonstrates Lupin's commitment to its brand franchise in US. It will allow Lupin to draw on its existing strengths within paediatrics and grow into other specialties to carve a share out of the multi-billion dollar allergic rhinitis market. AllerNaze offers a quality intra-nasal steroid option to physicians as they deal with adherence and compliance issues when treating allergic rhinitis,'' said .
Headquartered in Mumbai, India, Lupin produces a wide range of generic and branded formulations and APIs for the developed and developing markets of the world.
