Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. has announced the submission of a marketing authorization application to Swissmedic for its investigational drug alitretinoin. The submission supports the proposed use of oral alitretinoin in severe refractory chronic hand eczema.

The marketing authorization application seeks approval for oral alitretinoin in the treatment of severe refractory chronic hand eczema (CHE) and is based on a clinical programme comprising almost 2000 patients.

Recently, marketing authorization applications for alitretinoin in severe refractory CHE have been submitted to various EU member states. Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. The company has also appointment Hans Christian Rohde as global head of commercial operations. This new appointment will further expand Basilea's capabilities to support its product launches and future company growth.

Rohde has held senior positions in international marketing, sales and general management with Novo Nordisk, Biogen and Serono both in Europe and the United States. He was most recently a Global Therapeutic Area Head, Corporate Marketing at Merck Serono. He was responsible for numerous successful global product launches during his 19 year career in the pharmaceutical industry.