Two hepatitis C drugs win Prix Galien
pharmafile | September 28, 2012 | News story | Medical Communications, Sales and Marketing | Incivo, Janssen, MSD, Victrelis, prix galien
Two new hepatitis C drugs have been given the 2012 UK Prix Galien innovative product award as joint winners in a ceremony at the House of Commons.
Janssen-Cilag’s Incivo (telaprevir) and MSD’s Victrelis (boceprevir) are each used to treat chronic forms of the disease and were picked from a shortlist of a dozen medicines.
NICE chairman Professor Sir Michael Rawlins, who chaired the judges, said both were a perfect example of how the pharma industry can “demonstrate and justify its place in healthcare by innovating for change and showing real gains to the world”.
The drugs impressed a big-hitting panel, which included Professor Dame Carol Black, Professor Parveen Kumar, chairman of the Commission on Human Medicines Professor Sir Gordon W Duff, and national cancer director Professor Sir Michael Richards.
AstraZeneca’s Brilique (ticagrelor), indicated for atherothrombotic events in adults with acute coronary syndromes, and Shire’s Resolor (prucalopride), to treat chronic constipation in women, were highly commended.
Meanwhile Takeda became only the third winner of a Prix Galien Award for orphan drug development. Its brand Mepact (mifamurtide) is indicated to treat osteosarcoma, a rare malignant bone tumour.
The shortlisted products were either launched or granted a new indication in the UK between 1 January 2010 and 31 March 2012.
Held every two years, the UK franchise of Prix Galien is part of an internationally-recognised scheme to highlight innovative medicines which takes place in the US, Canada and most of Europe.
Winners from each country are put forward for the international competition which also takes place every two years.
Amgen’s Xgeva (denosumab) for skeletal-related events in adults with bone metastases from solid tumours, Roche’s Zelboraf (vemurafenib) for BRAF positive melanoma and BMS’ Yervoy (ipilimumab) for advanced melanoma, were among the brands which missed out.
At the 2010 awards Bayer’s anticoagulant Xarelto went home with the top honour, with GSK’s Cervarix and Sanofi Pasteur MSD’s Gardasil cervical cancer vaccines the joint winners for the 2008 prize.
Adam Hill
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