Ruconest Launches After Final Approval - Drug Discovery and Development

Pharming Group and Swedish Orphan Biovirum announce that Ruconest (INN conestat alfa), a recombinant version of the human protein C1 inhibitor (C1INH), will launch in The Netherlands after the Dutch regulatory authority gave final approval.

“We are very proud that we are the first of the Dutch biotech companies that have succeeded in bringing an ’in- house’ developed biological medicine to our home market. Our partner SOBI can therefore now also provide Dutch doctors and HAE patients with Ruconest as the novel biotech alternative to blood derived C1INH products,” says Sijmen de Vries, chief executive officer of Pharming.

Rhucin has been granted orphan drug designation in the U.S. for the treatment of acute attacks of HAE, a genetic disorder in which the patient is deficient in or lacks a functional plasma protein C1 inhibitor, resulting in unpredictable and debilitating episodes of intense swelling of the extremities, face, trunk, genitals, abdomen and upper airway.

Ruconest is available in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Latvia, and the Netherlands.

Release Date: August 31, 2011
Source: Pharming Group NV