BioAlliance adds ondansetron RapidFilm to portfolio

BioAlliance Pharma SA, a French specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of opportunistic infections in cancer and HIV, and Applied Pharma Research SA, together with its joint venture partner Labtec GmbH, say they have entered into an exclusive licensing agreement under which BioAlliance has acquired the commercialization rights in Europe to the thin film formulation of ondansetron from APR/Labtec, a leader in oral thin film technology named RapidFilm. Ondansetron thin film is a new oral formulation for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, nausea and vomiting associated with radiotherapy and post-operative nausea and vomiting.

Based on the results of a recently completed bio-equivalency study, BioAlliance will be preparing registration in Europe. The exclusive license to BioAlliance may total up to 6.0 million euros ($9.4 million) with 1.0 million euros at signature and 1.25 million at approval and sales milestones up to 3.75 million euros; in addition royalties on net sales of the product will be paid.

Anti-emetic therapies constitute one of the largest segments of the supportive care market in Europe, with annual sales of over 40.0 million euros in 2007 in the five major European Union markets, according to IMS Midas 2007. Ondansetron was the prescription leader in the category in 2007, with about 800 000 prescriptions (as extrapolated from IMS Midas Medical Data 2007).