Ethypharm and Camurus sign agreement for distribution of episil® in France

Lund, Sweden and Saint Cloud, France — 9 March 2017 — Camurus AB and Ethypharm announced today that they have entered into an agreement under which Ethypharm has obtained exclusive distribution rights for episil® oral liquid in France. Based on a patented technology, episil® is an innovative treatment for the management and relief of oral mucositis pain, a common treatment-limiting side effect of cancer therapies.

"Oral mucositis is a frequent and very painful condition in patients undergoing cancer treatment. Very few solutions exist in the market and we are very pleased to finally be able to offer patients and healthcare professionals an innovative and effective treatment to meet this medical need”, declared Hugues Lecat, CEO of Ethypharm.

“Ethypharm, with its position in the field of specialized pain care in France, represent a strong addition to our distribution network of episil® in Europe”, said Fredrik Tiberg, President and CEO of Camurus. “We look forward to working together to provide patients suffering from oral mucositis with an effective treatment alternative.”

About Oral Mucositis
Oral mucositis (OM) is a common side effect of cancer therapies (chemo- and radiotherapy) and is characterized by painful inflammation and ulceration of the oral mucosa. OM affects nearly all head and neck cancer patients receiving radiotherapy (RT), 30%-75% of patients undergoing chemotherapy and most patients undergoing conditioning regimens for hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

OM is caused by damage to the DNA in the basal epithelial cell lining of the mouth leading to decreased cell proliferation and cell death. Symptoms of OM vary from pain and discomfort to an inability to tolerate food or fluids, which can prevent patients from eating, swallowing and speaking. OM often necessitates hospitalization for re-hydration, opiate pain medication and total parenteral nutrition. Patients with damaged oral mucosa and reduced immunity resulting from chemo- and radiotherapy are also prone to infections in the mouth. Severe OM can even limit the dosing and frequency of treatment for cancer.

About episil® oral liquid
episil® oral liquid represents a unique and innovative concept for local treatment of pain associated with OM. Developed using the award-winning* Camurus proprietary technology FluidCrystal®, episil® is administered as a lipid-based liquid that spreads on the intra-oral mucosal surfaces and transforms to a strongly bioadhesive film that mechanically protects the sensitized and sore epithelium of the oral cavity. Clinically demonstrated, episil® has been shown to rapidly (within minutes) and effectively reduce oral pain for up to 8 hours. episil® is supplied as a ready-to-use, pocket-sized device helping patients maintain their quality of life while undergoing cancer therapy. episil® is a CE-marked medical device class 1 in Europe and a 510k registered medical device in the US.

About Ethypharm
Ethypharm is a specialty European pharmaceutical company with global reach and a committed player in the treatment of pain and addiction. Ethypharm also develops and markets complex generics and essential medicines that help reduce healthcare costs, particularly in the field of emergency care and oncology. The Company employs 1400 people mainly in Europe, and its drugs are marketed in more than 50 countries. Our ambition is to become the European leader for the treatment of pain and addiction, and to help patients around the world gain access to high quality, essential and affordable medicines. For more information, visit www.ethypharm.com.

About Camurus
Camurus is a Swedish research-based pharmaceutical company committed to developing and commercialising innovative and differentiated medicines for the treatment of severe and chronic conditions. New drug products with best-in-class potential are conceived based on the proprietary FluidCrystal® drug delivery technologies and an extensive R&D expertise. Camurus’ clinical pipeline includes products for treatment of cancer, endocrine diseases, pain and addiction, developed in-house and in collaboration with international pharmaceutical companies. The company’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm under the ticker “CAMX”. For more information, visit www.camurus.com.    

For more information
Camurus
Fredrik Tiberg, President & CEO
Tel. +46 (0)46 286 46 92
fredrik.tiberg@camurus.com
 

Rein Piir, VP Investor Relations
Tel. +46 (0)70 853 72 92
ir@camurus.com

Ethypharm
Press and media relations
Greta GUZMAN / presse@ethypharm.com  / +33 (0)1 4112 1720

The information was submitted for publication at 08.00 a.m. on 9 March 2017.