Quintiles to promote Almirall's COPD drug in UK

Spanish pharmaceutical firm Almirall has called on Quintiles to help promote its respiratory drug portfolio in the UK.

The marketing deal will include Eklira Genuair, a new long-acting antimuscarinic (LAMA) obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) developed by Almirall which was approved by European regulators last week

The agreement - terms of which were not disclosed - builds on the firms’ existing relationship that has seen Quintiles play a part in European clinical trials of the drug and provide market access service in a range of countries.

The growing market access and commercialisation services sector has been a particularly active area for Quintiles so far this year.

Since January the pharma services firm has expanded its commercialisation business to North Africa and the Middle East, signed a deal to support Delcath’s efforts in Europe and established a commercial solutions unit in Brazil.

It is unclear if Quintiles will play a role in promoting Eklira Genuai in the US – where it will be sold by Almirall’s partner Forest Laboratories as Tudorza Pressair having been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this month.