Oclassen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Obtains Rights to Psoriasis Therapy.SAN RAFAEL San Rafael (săn rəfĕl`), residential city (1990 pop. 48,404), seat of Marin co., W Calif., a suburb of San Francisco on the northern shore of San Francisco Bay; inc. 1913. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 4, 1996--Oclassen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has completed a license agreement with Laboratories Bergaderm, a Belgian company, which grants Oclassen an exclusive license to develop and market the dermatologic drug, 5-methoxypsoralen (5-MOP). The agreement provides Oclassen with a license in North and South America South America, fourth largest continent (1991 est. pop. 299,150,000), c.6,880,000 sq mi (17,819,000 sq km), the southern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. to Bergaderm patents relating to the use of 5-MOP in the treatment of two common and disfiguring skin diseases, psoriasis and vitiligo vitiligo or leukoderma Skin disorder manifested by smooth, white spots on various parts of the body. Though the pigment-making cells of the skin, or melanocytes, are structurally intact, they have lost the ability to synthesize the pigment. . These conditions together may affect a total of over 5 million people in the United States alone. 5-MOP is marketed in several European countries for the treatment of severe psoriasis when used in conjunction with ultraviolet light Ultraviolet light A portion of the light spectrum not visible to the eye. Two bands of the UV spectrum, UVA and UVB, are used to treat psoriasis and other skin diseases. , a treatment regimen known as photochemotherapy, or PUVA therapy PUVA therapy Psoralen with UVA–light therapy Dermatology A therapy used for severe psoriasis, palmoplantar dermatosis–eg, palmoplantar pustulosis, atopic dermatitis, mycosis fungoides, vitiligo, 20-nail dystrophy, alopecia areata, vesicular eczema; PT . Bergaderm has an active IND in the United States and has conducted clinical studies in psoriasis, which are expected to accelerate regulatory filing. 5-MOP has also been used experimentally in the treatment of vitiligo. Vitiligo is a disease of the pigment producing cells characterized by patchy depigmentation de·pig·men·ta·tion n. The loss or removal of normal pigmentation. depigmentation removal of pigment; usually refers to melanin. See also hypopigmentation. of the skin of the face and hands. Oclassen plans to file an IND with the FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. which will allow the company to begin clinical trials in vitiligo. A related compound, 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP), is currently marketed for photochemotherapy of psoriasis and vitiligo in the United States. This form of photochemotherapy is one of the few treatments available which has the potential to induce remission in psoriatic patients. 5-MOP is expected to be at least as effective as 8-MOP, and has demonstrated a dramatically reduced incidence of unpleasant side effects Side effects Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm. such as nausea and vomiting Nausea and Vomiting Definition Nausea is the sensation of being about to vomit. Vomiting, or emesis, is the expelling of undigested food through the mouth. , common complaints with 8-MOP therapy. In other licensing activity, Oclassen recently signed an agreement granting it the exclusive U.S. and Canadian rights to develop and market patented novel topical iodine products for the treatment of acne as well as bacterial and fungal skin infection. The current market for these antimicrobial products is approximately $1 billion in the United States. Glenn A. Oclassen, chairman of Oclassen, stated, "In the past two weeks we have signed two development and marketing agreements which could provide us with significant therapeutic advances in the treatment of a wide range of serious dermatologic problems. "These research products, coupled with our stable of currently marketed products, position Oclassen to enhance our leadership in innovations to meet the therapeutic needs of dermatologists and their patients." Oclassen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately held company privately held company A firm whose shares are held within a relatively small circle of owners and are not traded publicly. that develops and markets specialty pharmaceuticals for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases. The Company currently markets five prescription brands in the United States. Oclassen's 61-person direct sales organization places it among the top five dermatology sales forces in the United States. Annual sales have grown to over $30 million since the 1991 introduction of the Company's first products, Condylox(R) and Monodox(R). The Company in-licenses development projects which it believes can be commercialized into products meeting the special needs of dermatologists and their patients. Oclassen has a solid management team with proven experience in the in-licensing, formulation development, clinical development, registration and marketing of prescription products in the United States. CONTACT: Oclassen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. William G. Thomas, 415/258-4595 (Director, Business Development) Glenn A. Oclassen, 415/258-4500 (Chairman and Founder) |
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