Ferring receives EU approval for ulcerative colitis therapy

Ferring has announced that its ulcerative colitis therapy Cortiment MMX has received European regulatory approval.

The product, which has been available in the Netherlands since November 2013, has been ratified as a means of inducing remission in patients with active mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis, based on its proven efficacy and safety profile.

In phase III studies, patients were shown to be between 2.4 and 3.9 times more likely to achieve clinical and endoscopic remission with Cortiment compared to placebo, with no clinically significant glucocorticosteroid side effects associated with the therapy.

The drug was originally developed by Cosmo Pharmaceuticals and is licensed to Ferring in Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, Latin America and Africa.

Michel Pettigrew, president of the executive board and chief operating officer of Ferring, said: "With the launch of Cortiment … we will expand our portfolio and build on our commitment to innovation in gastroenterology."

This comes after the firm announced a new collaboration with Roche earlier this year that will see the companies working to create a personalised treatment method for infertility.