TOKYO, Oct 19 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Clinigen Group plc (AIM: CLIN, ‘Clinigen’ or ‘the Group’), the global pharmaceuticals and services group, has launched its Japanese business with the opening of an office in Tokyo, Japan. The establishment of Clinigen K.K. further expands the Group’s presence in Asia, following Clinigen’s acquisition of Link Healthcare in 2015. Alongside the launch, Clinigen K.K. will transfer the Marketing Authorisation for its lead Specialty Pharmaceutical (SP) product Foscavir® (foscarnet sodium) back from Nobel Pharma on 1 November 2016. Nobel Pharma has been the distribution partner for Foscavir in Japan since 2011.
 
Foscavir is indicated to treat cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or Cytomegalovirus viremia and cytomegalovirus disease in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients. Japan was the first market where Clinigen successfully achieved a new license extension for HSCT patients in 2011.
 
Japan remains an important market for Foscavir with more than 2,000 patients treated annually. Clinigen will assume full marketing and distribution responsibility for Foscavir from November, to supply the product to healthcare professionals and patients across Japan.
 
Clinigen K.K. is a significant milestone for the Group in expanding its global footprint as Japan is the second largest pharmaceutical market globally. The Japanese business will allow the Group to supply and distribute both licensed and unlicensed medicines in the country, providing additional infrastructure to support Clinigen's mission to deliver the right medicine to the right patient at the right time. Clinigen employs over 500 people globally, across 11 locations. The opening of the Japanese office further expands its international supply chain and operational network.
 
Shaun Chilton, Chief Executive Officer, said:
 
“We are focused on building our market leadership positions by expanding in key geographic regions to drive sustained organic growth and better address unmet patient needs for access to critical medicines. The opening of our Japanese business helps support our goals and will enable us to effectively serve the Japanese market by supplying our own products, beginning with Foscavir. At a time when many pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are looking for specialist partners to work with them in Asia, the opening of our Japanese office gives us more opportunities to provide customers with our global expertise combined with local knowledge.”
 
About Foscavir® (foscarnet sodium)
 
Foscavir® is licensed for the treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in HIV patients, and acyclovir-resistant mucocutaneous herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections in immunocompromised patients.
 
About Clinigen Group
 
Clinigen Group plc (AIM: CLIN) is a global pharmaceutical and services company with a unique combination of businesses focused on providing access to medicines. Its mission is to deliver the right medicine to the right patient at the right time and is focused in three areas of global medicine supply; clinical trial, unlicensed and licensed medicines.
 
Clinigen Clinical Trial Services is the global market leader in the management and supply of commercial medicines for clinical trials.
 
The Group is also the trusted global leader in ethically sourcing and supplying unlicensed medicines to hospital pharmacists and physicians for patients with a high unmet need, through three of its divisions: Idis Managed Access runs early access programs for innovative new medicines. Idis Global Access and Link Healthcare work directly with healthcare professionals to enable compliant access to unlicensed medicines on a global basis and niche essential licensed and generic medicines across Australasia, Africa and Asia (AAA region).
 
Clinigen Specialty Pharmaceuticals acquires global rights, revitalises and markets its own portfolio of niche hospital medicines.
 
For more information, please visit www.clinigengroup.com
 
Contacts
Clinigen Group plc
Shaun Chilton, Chief Executive Officer
Martin Abell, Chief Financial Officer
+44 (0) 1283 495010
or
Numis Securities Limited
Michael Meade / Freddie Barnfield (Nominated Adviser)
James Black / Tom Ballard (Corporate Broking)
+44 (0) 20 7260 1000
or
Peel Hunt LLP - Joint Broker
James Steel / Dr Christopher Golden
+44 (0) 20 7418 8900
or
Instinctif Partners
Melanie Toyne-Sewell / Jen Lewis / Jayne Crook
+44 (0) 20 7457 2020
clinigen@instinctif.com
or
Clinigen K.K.
Masahiko Iwasaki, General Manager
Tel: +81-(0)3-6869-0663
Fax: +81-(0)3-6869-0660

Source: Clinigen K.K.
 
View this news release online at:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161018005746/en
 
--BERNAMA