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Sandoz To Take Over Oriel Therapeutics

Sandoz, a division of the Novartis group, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Oriel Therapeutics, a US pharmaceuticals company, gaining exclusive rights to a portfolio of generic drug candidates and technologies targeting asthma and COPD in the inhalable respiratory drug market.

Sandoz said that the regulatory approvals of these medicines, if achieved, would enable it to increase access to affordable, high-quality therapeutic alternatives for these increasingly prevalent diseases.

The acquisition of Oriel, which will be integrated as a separate development unit within Sandoz, also offers Sandoz access to its novel FreePath drug delivery technology. This has the potential to address some of the hurdles facing regulatory approval of generic inhaled medicines in the US. Oriel has also developed the proprietary Solis disposable dry powder inhaler based on the FreePath delivery technology.

The acquisition is expected to enable Sandoz to leverage both its existing range of in-market products and its extensive in-house expertise.

Jeff George, division head of Sandoz, said: “Oriel is a strong strategic fit with Sandoz and the acquisition is expected to support our strategy of increasing the number of differentiated, higher-value products in our development pipeline. One of our strategic objectives is to offer fully substitutable generic versions of key branded medicines, including respiratory medicines. This is a key area of focus that complements our global leadership position in biosimilars and complex injectables.”

In 2009, Sandoz broadened its existing respiratory portfolio by launching generic salbutamol in several European countries, as the first EU-wide approved generic inhalable product under new EU regulatory guidelines. In addition to its in-house expertise, Sandoz has collaborations with other companies as well as with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Division, which maximize its access to quality generic inhalable device mechanisms.

Novartis Pharmaceuticals is reported to have a complementary portfolio of patent-protected respiratory medicines as well as an extensive development pipeline.