Cristália and Actelion team up to launch product
Valor Econômico
The national pharmaceutical Cristália, one of the few Brazilian laboratories that invest in innovation, and Switzerland Actelion closed partnership in which the two companies will develop and promote a drug in Brazil a medicine sueveyed by Cristália for combating pulmonary hypertension. This disease, which causes pressure in the pulmonary arteries, is considered rare and often fatal. The development of this drug began three years ago, when Cristália has launched Helleva, a competitor to Viagra (of the American Pfizer) to combat erectile dysfunction. This remedy has the same active ingredient, the carbonate lodenasil, but in lower concentration, explained Ogar Pacheco, chairman of the national company to Valor.
According to Pacheco, the Swiss Actelion, which already has in the market a drug to treat this disease, the Tracleer, which will have its patent expired in the coming months, became interested in the survey of Cristália and suggested co-partnership. This medicine is already undergoing clinical trials. "There were consumed investments between R$ 15 million (US$ 8.8 million) to R$ 20 million (US$ 11.8 million) [additional investments to the development of Helleva]." The president of Brazil´s Actelion, Thomas Garlach, said that while the partnership with the Swiss pharmaceutical with the laboratory Cristália hás as specific target a qualitative work, "it is natural that there is an increase in the number of diagnoses and also in the sale of drugs" in the Brazilian market.
According to Garlach, the global pharmaceutical industry is convinced that the market growth in coming years will be sustained by the so-called emerging countries, due to the increase in average incomes in these nations. Garlach said that the partnership with the Brazilian laboratory, in the format that has been given, is a novelty in the sector, noting that the two companies have different profiles, which promotes mutual learning within this agreement.