>>SAN MATEO, Calif., Aug. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- SciClone Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: SCLN - news) today announced that the Company has received a Notice of Allowance for patent protection in Japan covering the use of ZADAXIN, the Company's lead immune system enhancer (ISE) drug, for the treatment of hepatitis C. The new patent, which extends through 2012, also covers the use of ZADAXIN in combination with alpha interferon for the treatment of hepatitis C. SciClone previously was granted a Japanese patent for the use of ZADAXIN in the treatment of hepatitis B, and recently announced completed enrollment of its Japanese phase 3 ZADAXIN hepatitis B trial.
``While SciClone's principal focus continues to be our 1,000 patient ZADAXIN hepatitis C phase 3 program in the U.S., we believe that Japan, as the world's second largest pharmaceutical market, represents a potential for significant long term value to the Company,'' said Donald R. Sellers, SciClone's President and Chief Executive Officer. ``ZADAXIN's intellectual property position for both hepatitis C and hepatitis B treatments is now well established in the U.S., Europe and Japan for the next decade. SciClone is well positioned to take advantage of our broadening opportunities in these important markets.''
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hepatitis C affects approximately 170 million people, or 3% of the total world's population. In Japan, it is estimated that over four million people are infected with the hepatitis C virus.
SciClone has initiated a phase 3 clinical program in the U.S. for the treatment of hepatitis C using ZADAXIN as part of a combination therapy with Pegasys®, pegylated interferon alfa-2a, a proprietary product of F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. SciClone recently completed enrollment of a phase 3 ZADAXIN monotherapy hepatitis B clinical trial in Japan. In addition, ZADAXIN is in two phase 2 clinical trials in the U.S. for the treatment of liver cancer and in a phase 2 clinical program in combination with lamivudine for the treatment of hepatitis B. The Company is planning a ZADAXIN phase 3 clinical program for European marketing registration for one or more indications that complement the Company's U.S. clinical program. ZADAXIN is also in a malignant melanoma clinical trial in Australia.<<
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This doesn't seem enough to be moving the price as it is on such a tough day. But we'll take what we can get, whatever it is.
Cheers, Tuck |
