ALTANA obtains marketing approval for Alvesco in Brazil and Mexico

Bad Homburg, 06.10. 2004 09:32

ALTANA obtains marketing approval for Alvesco in Brazil and Mexico

ALTANA AG (NYSE: AAA, FSE: ALT) has announced that the regulatory authorities in Brazil and Mexico have granted marketing approval for Alvesco® (Ciclesonide), a novel inhaled corticosteroid. The Brazilian and Mexican authorities have approved Alvesco® to treat all severity grades of asthma at doses of 80 to 640µg.

“We are delighted about these additional Alvesco approvals in major Latin American markets. Alvesco will allow us to substantially broaden ALTANA Pharma’s innovative profile and thereby continue with our strategy of internationalization”, commented Dr. Hans-Joachim Lohrisch, member of the Management Board of ALTANA and Chairman of the Management Board of ALTANA Pharma.

ALTANA Pharma obtained its first European approval for Alvesco® in April, in UK, which serves as a Reference Member State for the Mutual Recognition Procedure in other European countries. Alvesco® was approved to treat asthma of all severity grades in adults at daily doses of 160µg or 80µg.

In February, Alvesco® was approved in Australia to treat asthma in adults and adolescents from the age of 12 at a daily dose of up to 320µg.

From today’s perspective, ALTANA Pharma expects possible launch dates in some European countries in the first quarter of 2005.

Alvesco® is a new generation inhaled corticosteroid with novel pharmacokinetic properties. Inhaled corticosteroids are considered to be the cornerstone of asthma treatment, and they work by reducing inflammation – the underlying disease process – in the lungs and airways.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease caused by airway inflammation and results in airway constriction in response to certain stimuli. It is characterized by a variety of symptoms including wheezing, coughing and a tightening of the airways, which causes shortness of breath and can be life-threatening. According to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) more than 300 million people worldwide suffer from asthma. The prevalence of asthma is increasing by approximately 50 percent every decade and worldwide deaths from asthma total more than 180,000 annually.

Kontaktinformationen:
ALTANA AG
Dr. Thomas Gauly
Head of Corporate Communications &
Investor Relations

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ALTANA Pharma AG
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Telefax: +49 (0)7531 / 84-3065
Email: pr@altanapharma.com

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