Spanning four therapy areas – psycholeptic, anxiolytic, anti-epileptic and anti-psychotic, the brands fall within the unmet ongoing needs sector associated with CNS disorders.
Clobazam is from a class of drug called benzodiazepines and can be used to treat anxiety, with or without insomnia or certain psychiatric conditions, in certain patients.
The acquired brands include Frisium, Sentil, Urbanyl, Urbanil, Urbanol, Urbadan, Noiafren and Castilium. Frisium may also be used as adjunctive therapy in epilepsy.
Phenobarbital with the brand name Gardenal is used as an anti-convulsant to treat all forms of epilepsy except absence seizures. Cyamemazine (brand name Tercian) is used to treat certain types of psychotic conditions, anxiety in patients where other treatments have failed and also some types of depression in combination with another anti-depressant.
Prochlorperazine (brand name Stemetil) is used to treat vertigo, and nausea and vomiting due to various causes. It may also be used for other conditions such as schizophrenia, acute mania and as an adjunct to the short-term management of anxiety.
Dr James Burt, Pharmanovia CEO, said: “Sanofi’s decision to divest this established CNS portfolio, with leading brands such as Frisium and Gardenal, to Pharmanovia is recognition of our neurology expertise, our capabilities in lifecycle management and reputation of being a trusted divestment partner.
“We’re excited to use this knowledge and our global platform to ensure these important medicines not only continue to be available to the millions of patients who need them, but - through our lifecycle management - continue to evolve to meet patient needs.
“Through this acquisition, we are not only building depth in geography, but we’re also bringing in products that have a clear synergy with our existing portfolio and the core sub-therapy focuses of mental health and epilepsy, where there continues to be significant unmet need.”
It should be noted that not all of the acquired treatments have been approved in every market and local indications can be checked, for example, Tercian is currently only available in France.
Pharmanovia is listed as a lifecycle management healthcare company and focuses on making medicines to improve the lives of patients globally.
The company says this is achieved through enhancing already established medicines by ‘rediscovering, repurposing or re-engineering iconic brands to improve patient outcomes and experiences both through in-house development and strategic partnerships.’
Sanofi says it is dedicated to transforming the practice of medicine ‘by working to turn the impossible into the possible’. It aims to provide potentially life-changing treatment options and life-saving vaccine protection to millions of people around the world.
