Norgine and Apharm to commercialise Ziverel in Europe

Norgine has expanded its alliance with Apharm to include the distribution of the medical device Ziverel in a number of European countries.

The companies will be joining forces to distribute Ziverel in the UK, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, with these rollouts planned for early 2017.

An agreement from June 2015 has already seen the partners launching the therapy in Spain, with further debuts in Australia and New Zealand planned for later this year.

The device is used to maintain the integrity of the oesophageal mucosa to avoid the irritation of the oesophagus caused by stomach acid and other factors. It utilises a combination of hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate.

Peter Martin, chief operating officer at Norgine, said: "This recent transaction exemplifies our partnering culture and commitment to acquire further specialised innovative products to be maximised through our well-established EU infrastructure."

Gastrooesophageal reflux disease affects around 20 percent of the population in the Western world, with the disease burden believed to be on the rise.