SkyePharma PLC : flutiform launched in France

flutiform ® launched in France

€3 million milestone receivable from Mundipharma

LONDON, UK, 10 February, 2014 - Skyepharma PLC (LSE SKP),the expert oral and inhalation drug delivery company, announces that, following regulatory approval and agreement on pricing reimbursement, flutiform ® has now been launched in France.

Mundipharma will market flutiform ® in France in 50/5µg and 125/5µg strengths for the treatment of asthma.  Skyepharma will receive a milestone of €3.0 million (£2.5 million at current exchange rates) and royalties on net sales.

flutiform ® combines for the first time in Europe the fast acting LABA (Long-Acting Beta Agonist), formoterol, and the most widely prescribed ICS (Inhaled Corticosteroid), fluticasone. 

In Europe, flutiform ® has now been approved in 22 countries, with the most recent approval in Switzerland.  It has been launched in 14 European countries: Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden and the UK.  Skyepharma's licensee, Mundipharma, which is responsible for the development and commercialisation of flutiform ® in Europe and most of the rest of the world outside Japan and the Americas, anticipates further launches during 2014, once pricing and reimbursement procedures are concluded. 

flutiform ® has also been launched by Mundipharma in Hong Kong and Australia and by Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd in Japan.  The product has also been approved in Israel and South Korea. Sanofi, Skyepharma's licensee in Latin America, has initiated regulatory filings in the region.

Under its agreements with Mundipharma and Kyorin, Skyepharma is responsible for arranging the manufacture and supply of flutiform ®, and has contracted with Sanofi to manufacture and package the product.

According to IMS, the ICS/LABA combination market in France was worth approximately €487 million in the 12 months ended 30 September 2013.

Peter Grant, Chief Executive Officer of Skyepharma, commented,

"With the launch in France and the recent successful completion of the mutual recognition procedure for Spain, flutiform is now on track to be available in all of Europe's five largest markets, bringing more patients an effective treatment for asthma. We look forward to the further roll-out of flutiform and its continued growth."

A novel combination, flutiform ® combines fluticasone propionate (fluticasone), an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), and formoterol fumarate (formoterol), a long-acting β2-agonist (LABA), in a single aerosol inhaler incorporating Skyepharma's proprietary SkyeDry™ technology.  In Europe, flutiform ® is indicated for the regular treatment of asthma in patients aged 12 years and over (50/5µg and 125/5µg strengths) and in adults (250/10µg strength) whose symptoms are not adequately controlled on an ICS and an as-required inhaled short-acting β2-agonist (SABA), and in those patients who are already receiving treatment with both an ICS and LABA.1

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Clinical evidence supporting flutiform ®

The Skyepharma Group commenced development of flutiform ® in 2004 and carried out a substantial part of the development of the product including all the pre-clinical and chemistry, manufacturing and control work as well as a substantial part of the clinical trials.  In 2006 the Group appointed Mundipharma International Corporation Limited as the development partner and authorised distributor of flutiform ® for Europe and most other territories outside Japan and the Americas.

The European Commission decision was based on a regulatory package of nine phase I/II studies and nine phase III trials, which were conducted in a patient population of approximately 5,000, of whom 1,900 received flutiform ®.

The phase III clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy, safety and tolerability profile of flutiform ® across a range of asthma severities and in comparison with two currently available combination therapies for asthma (fluticasone/salmeterol and budesonide/formoterol ).1,2,3,4  

Phase III clinical trial data (8-12 weeks) demonstrated that the new combination:

-       is more effective in improving asthma symptom scores, including an improvement in the percentage of symptom-free days and awakening-free nights, compared with a similar dose of fluticasone alone4  

-       provides similar improvements in lung function parameters, control of asthma symptoms and similar level of exacerbations compared to its individual components administered concurrently via separate inhalers4  

-       has a more rapid onset of bronchodilatory action than the fluticasone/salmeterol combination as defined by the first time point post-dose at which FEV1 was at least 12 percent greater than the pre-dose value.  The superiority of fluticasone/formoterol combination (100/10 or 250/10 μg b.i.d.) compared to the fluticasone/salmeterol combination (100/50 or 250/50 μg b.i.d.) was shown over a 12-week study period (HR 1.64)3

-       has a safety and tolerability profile similar to that of its individual components administered concurrently via separate inhalers4  

About Skyepharma

Skyepharma combines proven scientific expertise with validated proprietary drug delivery technologies to develop innovative oral and inhalation pharmaceutical products.  The Group is eligible for revenues from 15 approved products in the areas of inhalation, oral, topical and injectable drug delivery as well as generating income from the development of further products and technology licenses.  The products developed by the Group are marketed throughout the world by big pharma as well as speciality pharmaceutical companies.  For more information, visit www.skyepharma.com

About Mundipharma

The Mundipharma independent associated companies have become leaders in pain management, and are building a growing presence in the oncology, rheumatoid arthritis and respiratory markets.  Through innovation and acquisition, the Mundipharma mission is to deliver cutting-edge treatment solutions that meet the pressing needs of healthcare professionals and patients.  For more information: www.mundipharma.com.

1 flutiform ®Summary of Product Characteristics

2 Bodzenta-Lukaszyk A, R Buhl, et al. Eur Respir J 2011a;38:153s

3 Bodzenta-Lukaszyk A, Dymek A et al. BMC Pulm Med J. 2011;11:28

4 Bodzenta-Lukaszyk A, Pulka et al. Respir Med J. 2011;105(5):674-82