Sirion gets US rights to Thea's Virgan

Sirion Therapeutics, a Florida, USA-based ophthalmic-focused biopharmaceuticals company, has reached an exclusive licensing agreement with Laboratoires Thea of France for the US rights to develop and market a topical ophthalmic gel containing ganciclovir for the treatment of certain viral and superficial eye infections. The product is currently marketed by Thea in Europe under the brand name of Virgan.

Roger Vogel, Sirion's chief medical officer, commented: "topical ganciclovir has been available in Europe for the treatment of ocular viral infections for over 10 years. This product has the potential to fill a significant unmet need in the current treatment options for viral eye infections."

Stephen Foster, founder and president of Massachusetts Eye Research and Surgery Institute, added: "upon regulatory approval, ganciclovir gel would become the first topical ophthalmic antiviral treatment launched in the USA in over two decades. This product has the potential to advance the medical treatment of herpes simplex keratitis. Herpes simplex keratitis remains the leading cause of corneal blindness in the USA."