The $7.3 billion global market for non-steroidal anti-inflammatorydrugs - dominated by two of the most widely prescribed medicines in the USA - may soon include an upstart competitor whose new product holds the promise of allaying joint pain but without the gastrointestinal discomfort often caused by current medications, according to a statement from ProEthic Laboratories of the USA and Applied Pharma Research, a Switzerland-based developer of innovative drug delivery systems.
They have signed a licensing agreement for a once-daily transdermal version of ketoprofen, a member of the NSAID class of drugs that also includes the popular COX-2 inhibitors Celebrex (celecoxib) from Pharmacia and Merck & Co's Vioxx (rofecoxib).
The deal with Applied Pharma gives ProEthic exclusive US marketing rights to the product. The firm will oversee clinical development in the USA, with a New Drug Application submission scheduled for late next year.
This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.
Login to your accountTry before you buy
7 day trial access
Become a subscriber
Or £77 per month
The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed
Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK
Copyright © The Pharma Letter 2025 | Headless Content Management with Blaze