Wyeth and Progenics ‘pleased to bring Relistor to patients’

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Progenics Pharmaceuticals have expressed their satisfaction at the first global approval of Relistor (methylnaltrexone bromide injection) for subcutaneous injection.

The compound is indicated for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation in patients receiving palliative care for advanced illness.

Relistor has this week received marketing approval from the Canadian regulatory agency Health Canada.

The drug is a peripherally acting mu-opioid receptor antagonist which operates by reducing the side effect of constipation caused by morphine, codeine and other opioids without affecting their ability to relieve pain.

Joseph S Camardo, senior vice-president of global medical affairs at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, said: “Wyeth and Progenics are pleased to bring Relistor to patients as an example of our commitment to discover, develop and deliver important new medicines that work in novel ways to benefit patients who need them.”

Paul J Maddon, founder, chief executive officer and chief science officer of Progenics said that the company is proud to share this achievement with Wyeth, adding that the firm is working with European regulators to expand the availability of the drug.

In February 2008, Joseph Mahady, head of global pharmaceuticals at Wyeth told analysts and investors that Relistor would bring in over $1 billion a year (504 million pounds), Reuters reports.