Grupo Ferrer, which is partnered with Alexza Pharmaceuticals on Adasuve Staccato loxapine inhalation powder in the EU, Latin America, CIS nations, Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Asia, has reiterated its support for the product. Alexza announced in June 2015 that it would stop manufacturing Adasuve for its partners and in September said that it was considering options including a strategic business combination or the sale of assets.
According to the two companies, Adasuve is now available in 283 European hospitals compared to 160 last year, and Ferrer is in discussions with EU authorities to allow its use outside of hospital settings.
Ferrer COO Antoni Villaro commented, “We continue to dedicate substantial efforts toward Adasuve’s success. The feedback we are receiving distinguishes Adasuve as a highly valuable medication, one that provides superior treatment to patients and a better tool to physicians. Adasuve is changing the paradigm of current treatment. This paradigm change requires time and substantial, sustained efforts to achieve significant business. We are determined to bring Adasuve to the patients that could benefit from it. As part of our global partnership, we have recently provided financing to Alexza through a short-term loan as the Company goes through strategic evaluation of its business. We remain strong, long-term supporters of Alexza and of Adasuve.”
Alexza President and CEO Thomas B. King said, “Ferrer is leading the way in penetrating the target markets in its territory and bringing Adasuve to fill the unmet need for patients and their families. We remain confident in Adasuve’s long-term commercial prospects. We are aware there are considerable challenges in launching a hospital product, especially one as unique and novel as Adasuve. We continue to be impressed with the hard work and progress Ferrer is making on the commercial front, as well as on the clinical development and regulatory fronts. This work is focused on evaluating markets and real-world use of the product, with the goals of implementing appropriate changes and potential label expansions that would allow product availability in expanded markets.”
Ferrer said that it plans to launch Adasuve in the UK, Italy, Netherlands and Bulgaria over the next half a year.
Read the Ferrer and Alexza press release.
