Horus Pharma is extending expertise to retinal field by introducing intravitreal implant to French market
Saint-Laurent du Var, France, May 21, 2019 – Horus Pharma, an independent laboratory specialized in ophthalmology, announces that it is now making ILUVIEN® available to French patients. ILUVIEN is owned by Alimera Sciences, Inc. (US).
ILUVIEN is an intravitreal implant which continuously releases a corticosteroid directly into the vitreous body for a period of 36 months. It was granted marketing authorization in Europe in 2012 for the treatment of vision impairment associated with chronic Diabetic Macular Edema (DME). It is a drug approved for patients insufficiently responsive to other available therapies, such as laser photocoagulation or ranibizumab.
ILUVIEN’s coverage by the French health insurance system was obtained by Horus Pharma and approved by France’s Economic Committee of Healthcare Products on March 28, 2019. ILUVIEN was released onto the French market on April 1, 2019.
In patients with chronic DME (≥3 years), ILUVIEN showed superiority over placebo (FR) after 24 months in terms of percentage of patients with an improved visual acuity of ≥15 letters.
"We are delighted about this successful cooperation with Alimera Sciences which enables us to market ILUVIEN in France for patients in need of a better alternative treatment for their DME," said Martine Claret, president of Horus Pharma. "Horus Pharma, an independent ophthalmology laboratory, is a major player in Europe in innovative treatments for corneal conditions, in particular dry eye, wound healing, keratoconus and corneal edema. Distributing ILUVIEN in France will allow Horus Pharma to broaden its therapeutic range in retinal diseases.”
"This product is eagerly awaited by both patients and retinologists as a new therapeutic alternative for DME patients. Horus Pharma is proud to be contributing to the improvement of care services in a rapidly growing, blinding disease," added Martine Claret.
"France represents an important market in the field of intraocular steroids. DME can lead to blindness and is becoming increasingly common; an improvement in the treatment is welcome, both for patients and healthcare professionals," said Rick Eiswirth, CEO of Alimera Sciences. "Horus Pharma's expertise in market access has been important in successfully marketing ILUVIEN in France."
May 21, 2019