Norgine receives EU approval for hepatic encephalopathy drug

Norgine and partner Alfa Wassermann have announced that the European Commission has granted marketing approval of their new therapy for hepatic encephalopathy.

The drug Xifaxan – also known as Refero, Targaxan and Tixteller – has been ratified for use as a means of reducing the recurrence of episodes of overt hepatic encephalopathy among patients aged 18 or older.

Alfa Wassermann and Norgine have already received approval of the product in the US and Australia, among other territories, and now hope to introduce the drug in European territories during the first half of 2013.

Like many other regions, Europe is currently experiencing a growing prevalence of liver cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy, with the rising associated cost of treatment creating problems for healthcare systems.

The manufacturers claim that Xifaxan "has the potential to make a significant impact on treatment outcome and improve the quality of life for sufferers and their caregivers".

This comes after the company announced the appointment of Karen Hockey as its new global marketing manager last month.