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News Release from: Britannia Pharmaceuticals
Edited by the Laboratorytalk Editorial
Team on 09 October 2003
Migraine treatment gets up your nose
Britannia and Novartis collaborate to develop nasal powder treatment for migraines which promises fast, long-lasting relief
Britannia Pharmaceuticals and Novartis Pharmaceuticals have signed an agreement to accelerate the development of dihydroergotamine (DHE) nasal powder, an advanced and patented formulation of DHE that has been in development at Britannia since 2001 Britannia will use Novartis data to reduce the time to launch for DHE nasal powder in the United Kingdom in exchange for milestone payments and royalties on UK sales
This article was originally published on Laboratorytalk on 17 Oct 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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In addition, Novartis will be granted the first opportunity to license DHE nasal powder in countries outside of the UK.
"We are pleased to be working with Novartis to speed the rate at which DHE nasal powder will be available to patients," said Max Noble, managing director of Britannia.
"We are confident in the potential for this treatment to make a significant difference in the lives of millions of migraine sufferers".
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Migraine headaches have been identified as the most common neurological condition in the world, and it is estimated that up to 20% of the world's population suffer from migraines.
The World Health Organisation has ranked migraines among the world's top 20 leading causes of disability.
Britannia's DHE nasal powder formula not only works very quickly, but also lasts longer than most migraine treatments, helping to prevent the common problem of recurring migraines.
Based on Britannia's proprietary expertise in nasal powder drug delivery, this new formulation is non-irritating, fast-acting, as bioavailable as subcutaneous injections, and more stable than nasal liquid formulations.
"We are excited to join Britannia in their effort to bring this important new treatment to market," said Drummond Paris, chief executive officer of Novartis UK.
"DHE nasal powder marks a promising step in the development of new migraine medications, and we look forward to seeing this potential develop".
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Headache Foundation, migraine headaches affect nearly 30 million Americans, disturbing one in four households, causing 157 million missed days of work, and costing American taxpayers $13 billion in reduced productivity each year.
In the United Kingdom, the Migraine Action Association reports that six million people suffer from migraines - more than diabetes, asthma and epilepsy combined - and migraines are responsible for the loss of more than 18 million workdays and £750 million in production each year.
Comments from readers
Martha Shoultz writes: I just read your article that looks like it is a few years old now about a nasal powder for migraines. I suffer from seasonal migraines - they only occur September through December - and none of the traditional preventative medicines have worked for me, and the triptan class of drugs for treatment only helps sometimes. Do you know if this drug is approved in the US, or if there are any trials going on here for it?
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