FISONS' "LAST HOPE" TILADE LAUNCHED IN USA

Following the year-end approval by the US Food and Drug Administration, Fisons of the UK has now launched its Tilade (nedocromil sodium) for the treatment of asthma sufferers in the USA.

The anti-inflammatory drug is widely seen as Fisons' last attempt to remain a credible player in the pharmaceutical market, particularly since it had to stop development of its steroid tipredane (Marketletter April 12). According to Cedric Scroggs, pharmaceutical division chairman and chief executive of Fisons, Tilade has already firmly established itself in European and Canadian markets, and will be marketed in the USA in collaboration with Rhone-Poulenc Rorer.

"This means that the combined sales forces are implementing a nation-wide respiratory campaign, and while R-PR is co-promoting Tilade, Fisons will co-promote R-PR's corticosteroid asthma drug Azmacort (triamcinolone)," said Mr Scroggs. Fisons has held back the launch of Tilade in order to complete the assessment of data from a new trial which shows Tilade is more effective in controlling asthma than its earlier compound, Intal (sodium cromoglycate).