Altana AG has announced that Alvesco (Ciclesonide), a novel inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) for the treatment of adults (18+ years) suffering from persistent asthma is now available for the first time in the United Kingdom (UK). Altana Pharma also received the national marketing license for Germany and will start to market Alvesco in Germany in February. Further launches will follow during the year in Europe and across the world.

"We're delighted that we can now make Alvesco, a new respiratory drug from own research, available as an innovative therapy option to asthma patients," Dr. Hans-Joachim Lohrisch, president and CEO of Altana Pharma said.

The cooperation partner sanofi-aventis has already filed an application in the US and cooperation partner Teijin in Japan for newly launched inhaler Alvesco. The family also includes Ciclesonide nasal spray (phase III), Ciclesonide as a fixed combination product with formoterol (phase II) and Ciclesonide as a dry powder inhaler (phase II).

UK served as the Reference Member State for the Mutual Recognition Procedure of Alvesco in other European countries. Meanwhile, 20 European countries have mutually agreed to the summary of product characteristics (SmPC) for Alvesco. According to the SmPC, Alvesco is approved as treatment for persistent asthma of all severity grades in adults. Alvesco has already been approved in Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Colombia, the company release says.

Alvesco is an inhaled corticosteroid with novel release and distribution properties resulting in lung-targeted anti-inflammatory effects. Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are considered to be the foundation of asthma treatment, work by reducing inflammation - the underlying disease process - in the lungs and airways.

More than 300 million people worldwide suffer from asthma, thereof approx. 10 million patients in the UK. IMS data indicate that the UK is the largest market in Europe for asthma medication. The market in mono-therapy inhaled corticosteroids (ICS Mono) represented a value of some EUR1 billion in 2003, of which the UK accounted for about 30 per cent.