Nycomed commences global rollout of Daxas

Nycomed has begun its staggered global rollout of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment Daxas by introducing the drug in Germany.

The proprietary selective phosphodiesterase 4 enzyme inhibitor is being launched in partnership with Merck Sharpe and Dohme in the European nation, with a UK launch set to follow.

Daxas is a maintenance therapy for adult patients suffering from severe COPD associated with chronic bronchitis, as an add-on to bronchodilator treatment.

In total, it will be released in eight additional European nations by the end of the year, as well as Canada, while further launches are planned for 2011.

Nycomed managing director Stefan Brinkmann said: "This is a very special day for Nycomed in Germany, as Daxas allows us to offer a new treatment option to 700,000 patients in Germany."

The company stated in its most recent financial report last month that it expects the introduction of Daxas to help underpin its business growth in the coming months.