Teva launches Lonquex in the UK

Teva has announced the UK launch of Lonquex, a subcutaneous injection for neutrophil support in cancer patients receiving myelosuppresive chemotherapy.

The long-acting recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor uses the active ingredient lipegfilgrastim and is intended for the reduction of the duration of neutropenia and the incidence of febrile neutropenia among cancer sufferers.

It has undergone a full clinical development programme as part of an efficacy and tolerability assessment for use with chemotherapy patients, receiving approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in July 2013.

The UK launch is the latest step in an EU-wide rollout of the product that has already seen it being successfully introduced in the Germany, the Netherlands and Ireland.

Robyn Hughes, brands director at Teva UK, said: "This is an important milestone for Teva and demonstrates our commitment to making a difference to the lives of those with cancer and bringing another treatment option to market for this group of patients."

This comes after the firm received a recommendation from the EMA's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use last month for approval of the asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease therapy DuoResp Spiromax.