Tracleer expansion fuels Actelion growth
pharmafile | July 22, 2009 | News story | Sales and Marketing |Â Â Actelion, TracleerÂ
Sales of pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment Tracleer are continuing to grow worldwide, helping to boost the fortunes of Actelion.
The Swiss company has announced half-year sales of CHF 855.2 million ($800m), up 27% compared to the same period last year.
Tracleer accounts for the vast majority of this total, earning CHF 739.3m, an increase of 23%.
Zavesca (miglustat) sales were CHF 22.4m, up only slightly on sales for the same period last year of CHF 19.7m). In local currencies, Zavesca sales increased by 19%.
The company has now upgraded its full year forecast for revenues and profits. It is also investing in a full pipeline of drugs to help it continue its growth in the medium to long term.
The company's chief executive Jean-Paul Clozel said: "I am very pleased with our performance in the first six months of 2009. Today, we offer innovative products for patients. We are making significant headway towards obtaining clinical data in the months ahead that might turn development compounds into tomorrow's pharmaceutical options."
In the pipeline
Clozel said results from a phase IIa trial of a new pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment, an oral PGI2 receptor agonist that stimulates the prostacyclin pathway, met its primary endpoint of pulmonary vascular resistance and was well tolerated.
The company has also just begun clinical development of a novel anti-infective.
One of its most advanced pipeline drugs is almorexant, a new treatment for primary insomnia and its first phase III study, part of the RESTORA programme, is due to end later this year.
RESTORA 1 is a pivotal study of almorexant in patients diagnosed with primary insomnia. The 700-patient two-dose, four-arm study includes a reference arm with zolpidem (Sanofi's Stilnoct/Stilnox) one of the most widely prescribed insomnia treatments.
However, the drug has been delayed by nine months, following negotiations with US regulator the FDA about the design of the remaining RESTORA trials programme.
These pivotal studies are now expected to be started no sooner than early 2010, and in the mean time other non-pivotal studies are ongoing.
Related Content
Beyond Batten Disease Foundation partners with Actelion on development of combination treatment
Beyond Batten Disease Foundation (BBDF) has partnered with Actelion Pharmaceuticals, a Janssen company, to provide …
Pharmafile.com’s top ten stories of 2017
After a packed year that has flown by, we’ve reached the final top ten of …
Actelion spin-off hit by blow shortly before buyout
Idorsia, the spin-off R&D company of Actelion, has been hit a blow even before it …
