Schering AG has brought the bisphosphonate Bonefos (sodium clodronate) back under its umbrella in the UK and Ireland, the firm revealed yesterday.
It has re-acquired the rights to the product from Boehringer Ingelheim, which licensed Bonefos in the 80s, but has recently seen its agreement draw to a close.
Ronny Greif, Marketing Manager, Schering, commented: “We are delighted to have all Bonefos formulations in our portfolio. We have long-term plans for the product and are committed to its support in the future.” A spokesperson for the company was unable to give any financial details with regard to the transaction, but did tell PharmaTimes NewsOnline that Bonefos is a multi-million pound product in the UK and Ireland.
Bonefos is available as three formulations in the UK, with the oral tablets and capsules being licensed for managing osteolytic lesions, hypercalcaemia and bone pain associated with skeletal metastases in patients with breast cancer or multiple myeloma. Meanwhile, the infusion concentrate is on the market for treating hypercalcaemia.
In the UK, more than 30,000 patients every year are diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, when the primary tumour metastasises to other regions in the body, while 10,000 are affected by multiple myeloma.
