Astellas launches Mycamine in the UK

Astellas Pharma has announced the UK launch of Mycamine (micafungin sodium) in the UK through its European subsidiary.

It submitted a marketing authorisation to the European Medicines Agency in April 2006 under the centralised procedure.

The European Commission granted marketing authorisation for the compound later that month.

Astellas said the launch of Mycamine in the UK marks the first in a number of launches across Europe, with additional markets also set to follow.

In adults, it is indicated as a treatment for invasive candidiasis, oesophageal candidiasis in patients for whom intravenous therapy is appropriate, the prevention of Candida infectionin patients undergoing allogeneic haemotopoietic stem cell transplantations and those expected to have neutropenia for ten or more days.

“This launch in Europe means that Mycamine/Funguard will be available in major overseas markets including North America, Asia and Europe,” the company said.

It added it is dedicated to developing an infectious diseases franchise, with this European launch of Mycamine a major force to speed up the expansion of these efforts.

After the receipt of a recommendation for approval fore the compound from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Us in February 2008, Astellas forecast Mycamine would contribute to the treatment of fungal infections throughout all of Europe.