Ferring Pharmaceuticals: Euflexxa to sponsor Senior Olympics

Ferring Pharmaceuticals has announced that it has entered into a partnership agreement with the National Senior Games Association, according to which Euflexxa (sodium hyaluronate) will be an exclusive sponsor of the Seummer National Senior Games, or Senior Olympics, being held from June 22nd to July 7th 2007 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Euflexxa is a non-avian derived hyaluronic acid indicated for a three-injection regimen for the treatment of pain as a result of knee osteoarthritis in patients that have responded inadequately analgesics and standard non-pharmacologic therapy.

William Garbarini, executive director for sales and marketing at Ferring Pharmaceuticals, said; “Our goal is to educate people about knee osteoarthritis and the available treatment options, while supporting those who live with it every day.”

The drug will be represented at the event by 1976 Olympic gold medal-winner Bruce Jenner, a sufferer of knee osteoarthritis who serves as a national spokesperson for Euflexxa in the US.

Last February, Ferring Pharmaceuticals reported that a head-to-head study comparing Euflexxa to Synvisc, an avian-derived hyaluronan, found that the former exhibited greater tolerability when used as a treatment for osteoarthritis knee pain.

Furthermore, more patients treated with Euflexxa were symptom free, with a lower incidence of joint-effusion and a reduced need for additional simple analgesics.