Copenhagen, 2011-04-18 08:15 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
ALK announces that the Danish Medicines Agency has decided to grant general reimbursement to GRAZAX® as of 2 May 2011.
Jens Bager, President and CEO of ALK, says: "It is good news that the Danish Medicines Agency has decided that Danish grass pollen allergy sufferers can receive reimbursement for allergy treatment with GRAZAX®. The treatment reduces the symptoms of grass pollen allergy, but it also treats the cause of allergy and continues to be effective after completion of the three-year treatment regimen."
The Danish Medicines Agency has decided that the reimbursement for GRAZAX® is conditional and comprises the following patients (quotation from the decision of the Danish Medicines Agency): "Patients suffering from documented grass pollen allergy and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis without concomitant grass pollen-related asthma who:
- fail to achieve adequate disease control using optimal symptomatic treatment with antihistamines and nasal steroid, or for whom this treatment causes unacceptable side-effects, and
- are strongly motivated for immunotherapy and are likely to have good compliance"
Better allergy treatment in Denmark
GRAZAX® has been approved by the authorities in all EU member states since 2006 and is eligible for reimbursement in all major European countries.
"With the decision to grant general reimbursement to GRAZAX®, Danish patients will have access to the same effective and convenient treatment that is already widespread in most European countries, where physicians, patients and authorities have embraced GRAZAX®," says Jens Bager.
This announcement does not change ALK's financial outlook for 2011.
ALK-Abelló A/S
Jens Bager
President and CEO
For further information please contact:
Jens Bager, President and CEO, tel. +45 4574 7576
About GRAZAX®
GRAZAX® reduces the symptoms of grass pollen allergy and provides sustained improvement of the quality of life upon completion of treatment. GRAZAX® targets the cause of allergy. GRAZAX® is a fast dissolving immunotherapy tablet for the treatment of grass pollen allergy in children and adults. Patients take one tablet daily.
GRAZAX® was approved by the authorities in 27 EU member states in 2006. The clinical development programme for GRAZAX® is the largest development programme ever conducted on an allergy vaccine. 15 randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies of GRAZAX® have been conducted including a total of 3,744 patients, and 27 scientific articles have been published. GRAZAX® has now been taken for approximately 54,000 treatment years.
About ALK
ALK is a research-driven global pharmaceutical company focusing on allergy prevention, diagnosis and treatment. ALK is the world leader in allergy immunotherapy — a unique treatment of the underlying cause of allergy. The company has approximately 1,700 employees with subsidiaries, production facilities and distributors worldwide. ALK has entered into partnership agreements with Merck and Torii Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. to commercialise allergy immunotherapy tablets in North America and Japan, respectively. The company is headquartered in Hørsholm, Denmark, and listed on the NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen A/S. Find more information at www.alk-abello.com.
Investor Relations: Per Plotnikof, tel. +45 4574 7527, mobile +45 2261 2525
Press: Martin Barlebo, tel. +45 4574 7901, mobile +45 2064 1143