COPENHAGEN, Dec. 26, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Allergenic Products Advisory Committee meeting scheduled for 28 January 2014.
ALK (ALKB:DC / OMX: ALK B / AKABY / AKBLF) today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has scheduled an FDA Allergenic Products Advisory Committee meeting to be held on 28 January 2014 to discuss the Biologic License Application (BLA) for the investigational ragweed sublingual allergy immunotherapy (AIT) tablet.
FDA advisory committees are panels of independent experts who advise the agency as they consider regulatory decisions. Advisory committee meetings are open to the public and are common for new drug classes and/or major pharmaceutical drugs under review.
In March 2013, ALK's partner for North America, Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, submitted the BLA to the FDA for the sublingual allergy immunotherapy tablet against ragweed allergy. In May 2013, ALK and Merck announced that the BLA was accepted for review by the FDA.
Merck's application is based on results from an extensive clinical development pro-gramme. Data from the clinical trials have demonstrated that treatment with ragweed sublingual AIT tablets reduces patients' allergy symptoms and their concomitant use of symptom-relieving medication and that the treatment is well tolerated.
ALK's partnership with Merck covers the development, registration and commer-cialisation of a portfolio of sublingual allergy immunotherapy tablets in North America.
ALK-Abello A/S
Jens Bager
President & CEO
For further information please contact:
Jens Bager, President and CEO, tel. +45 4574 7576
Investor Relations: Per Plotnikof, tel. +45 4574 7527, mobile +45 2261 2525
Press: Martin Barlebo, tel. +45 4574 7901, mobile +45 2064 1143
About ALK
ALK is a research-driven global pharmaceutical company focusing on allergy prevention, diagnosis and treatment. ALK is the world leader in allergy immunotherapy - a unique treatment of the underlying cause of allergy. The company has approximately 1,800 employees with subsidiaries, production facilities and distributors worldwide. ALK has entered into partnership agreements with Merck and Torii to commercialise sublingual allergy immunotherapy tablets in North America and Japan, respectively. The company is headquartered in Hoersholm, Denmark, and listed on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen. Find more information at www.alk.net.
About the partnership with Merck in North America
ALK has entered into a strategic partnership with Merck to develop, register and commercialise a portfolio of sublingual allergy immunoterapy tablets against grass pollen, ragweed and house dust mite allergy in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Under the agreement, ALK will receive up to DKK 1.6 billion (USD 290 million) in milestone payments from Merck, of which approximately DKK 300 million has already been recognised in the years 2007-12. In addition, ALK is entitled to royalty payments on the net sales of the products on the North American market as well as payments for product supply. Merck will be responsible for all costs of clinical development, registration, marketing and sales of the products on the North American markets. ALK will be responsible for tablet production and supply.
