Almirall launches Nycomed's COPD drug roflumilast in Spain; revises guidance

Spain’s largest pharma company Almirall (ALM. MC) has just launched in Spain the second brand of roflumilast under the name Libertek. Roflumilast, under licence from Nycomed, is a once daily tablet for people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This phosphodieterase 4 (PDE4) enzyme inhibitor is the first anti-inflammatory oral treatment for this disease.

Nycomed, the acquisition of which has just been completed by Japan’s Takeda (TYO: 4502; The Pharma Letter October 3), has not yet issued sales figures for its Daxas brand of roflumilast, which was introduced in the USA by partner Forest earlier this year under the trade name Daliresp, and has started to roll-out in Europe, including in Spain by Nycomed itself.

Enrique Dominguez, general manager Spain at Almirall, states that “COPD is a specific inflammation that is underlying throughout the disease. Roflumilast is the first medicine that specifically treats the inflammation to prevent the appearance of exacerbations characteristic of the disease, delaying their appearance and improving lung function. All these benefits occur when the medicine is added to the patient’s current treatment.”