Schwarz Pharma gets PD go ahead

European regulators have given their backing to Schwarz Pharma’s Parkinson’s disease (PD) patch Neupro.

After the decision by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) the firm will be able to market the rotigotine transdermal patch in all 25 European Union countries.

Schwarz CEO Patrick Schwarz-Schutte said: “This positive opinion is a milestone for our company. We are delivering on our strategy ? to develop and market innovative drugs in the areas of neurology and urology.

“We are now getting ready for the market introduction of Neupro within Europe in the first half of 2006.”

Dr Iris Loew-Friedrich, member of the executive board, explained how the drug worked.

She said: “Transdermal administration of a dopamine agonist offers a promising option for patients suffering from early Parkinson’s disease.

“Rotigotine, a new chemical entity, is combined with an innovative formulation technology, the first Parkinson’s patch, to offer patients good symptom control over twenty-four hours.”

PD is thought to affect around four million people worldwide.

© Adfero Ltd