Medunik Canada and Orphan Europe Sign a new Distribution Agreement to Help Canadians With Rare Diseases

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• Publié par: medunik-canada
• Nombre de lectures: 13
• Langue: English

Extrait

Medunik Canada and Orphan Europe Sign a

new Distribution Agreement to Help Canadians

With Rare Diseases

PR Newswire

BLAINVILLE, Quebec, July 5, 2012

BLAINVILLE, Quebec

,

July 5, 2012

/PRNewswire/ --

Medunik Canada, is an orphan drug company dedicated to helping Canadians

with rare diseases access therapies currently unavailable in

Canada

. Medunik

Canada is proud to announce that it has signed an exclusive distribution

agreement with Orphan Europe Recordati Group.

Under this agreement, Medunik Canada receives the exclusive Canadian rights

to market and distribute four important therapies in the following medical

conditions: (1) acute hepatic porphyria, (2) hyperammonaema due to N-

acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS) deficiency or one of three organic acidurias

(isovaleric, methylmalonic or propionic), (3) patent ductus arteriosus and (4)

vitamin E deficiency in chronic cholestasis.

"We are thrilled to enter into a new partnership with Orphan Europe Recordati

Group" stated Éric Gervais, Executive Vice-President of Medunik Canada. "This

new strategic collaboration complements our existing alliances and represents

an important milestone in our endeavor to help patients with a rare disease in

Canada

to benefit from the best treatments available".

Marco Liguori, General Manager & Recordati Vice-President, Special care and

Orphan Drugs went on to say that "Orphan Europe Recordati Group is delighted

to extend its products and services to rare disease patients in

Canada

. We are

particularly happy to work with a company like Medunik Canada which is

committed to building awareness and promoting better diagnosis and care of

rare disease patients in

Canada

."

About the Medical Conditions

Acute hepatic porphyrias:

The porphyrias are a group of disorders of the

heme biosynthesis pathway that present with acute neurovisceral symptoms,

skin lesions or both. Acute porphyria is a term that includes three similar

inherited diseases: acute intermittent porphyria (AIP), variegate porphyria (VP)

and hereditary coproporphyria (HCP). They are characterised by episodic acute

neurovisceral attacks which may be life threatening. These attacks are

uncommon and are often difficult to diagnose. In AIP only acute attacks occur

and the skin is never affected, whilst in VP or HCP skin may also be affected.

Hyperammonaema due to N-acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS)

deficiency or one of three organic acidurias (isovaleric, methylmalonic or

propionic): NAGS deficiency is one of the urea cycle disorders (UCD). UCDs are

caused by a deficiency of one of the enzymes in the urea cycle which is

responsible for removing ammonia from the blood stream and organic

acidurias disrupt normal amino acid metabolism causing a buildup of acidsm.

Both groups of disorders can cause hyperammonemia. Accumulation of

ammonia in the body causes irreversible brain damage, coma, and can be

fatal.

Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA):

In the developing fetus, the ductus

arteriosus (DA) is a shunt connecting the pulmonary artery to the aortic arch. It

allows the blood from the right ventricle to bypass the lungs. In normal

newborns, the DA is closed within a few hours after birth. However, in preterm

babies, this blood vessel sometimes remains open and because of the pressure

gradient blood flows back from the aorta to the pulmonary artery. This

condition is called patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and affects the perfusion of

the lungs and other organs (brain, kidney, mesentery).

Vitamin E deficiency in chronic cholestasis:

Chronic cholestasis represents a symptom of various conditions where the flow

or the formation of bile is impaired. Patients with chronic cholestasis cannot

absorb fat soluble vitamins. Vitamin E deficiency is therefore a complication

often observed in patients presenting with this condition and can lead to

neurological abnormalities.

About Medunik Canada

Medunik Canada was created in

December 2009

with the mission to bring to

Canada

currently unavailable orphan drugs for women, men and children with

rare diseases. Medunik Canada is a natural complement to its sister company

Duchesnay Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company providing safe and

effective treatment options to pregnant women, who represent a small-size

population with special health needs.

Both Medunik Canada and Duchesnay Inc. are part of

Le Groupe

Pharmaceutique Boivin

, a Canadian family-owned organization based in the

greater

Montreal

area of

Quebec

since 1955.

For more information, visit http://www.medunikcanada.com.

About Orphan Europe

Orphan

Europe

is a pharmaceutical company aiming at providing treatment for

patients with unmet medical needs suffering from rare diseases. Being part of

Recordati Group since

December 2007

, it continues to be one of the most

active players in the field of rare diseases. In 2011, Orphan Europe received the

Corporate Award from the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) for

the development of a therapeutic agent for the treatment of NAGS deficiency

in

the United States

. For more information, visit http://www.orphan-europe.com

For further information:

Medunik Canada

Media Relations: Christine Walter [phone]

[e-mail]

Orphan Europe Recordati Group

Director of External Affairs and Rare Disease Partnerships: Samantha Parker

[phone]

[e-mail]