Canadian Company Launches Drug in US
A Canadian drug company has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to launch its new drug in the States. Theratechnologies Inc, a Canadian drug company based in Montreal, has been given the go-ahead for the launch of its tesamorelin drug, to be marketed as Egrifta, in the country. The Canada drug company has spent more than fifteen years and two hundred million dollars developing the drug, which according to the FDA is “the first and only treatment indicated to reduce excess abdominal fat in HIV infected patients with lipodystrophy”.
The Canada drug will go on sale in the United States within weeks now that the approval has been given, according to Theratechnologies Inc CEO Yves Rosconi.
“There are two hundred and thirty thousand patients waiting out there for this treatment in the US alone,” Rosconi claims. “We’re actively seeking partners to help file for regulatory approval in Canada, Europe and Latin America, where the drug is also needed.”
Patients can inject the drug themselves using a very thin needle, although the FDA will still require more investigation into the safety of the drug - despite it already being approved - including checks on long term use and its impact on diabetic HIV patients. “We’re one of the very few Canadian biotech firms to have successfully discovered, developed and brought a drug to market on its own and FDA approval is a real achievement for patients and for our shareholders,” Rosconi stated proudly. “This drug is destined to make a difference.”
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