Camurus AB (Camurus) and Solasia Pharma K.K. (Solasia) jointly announced that they have entered into a license and distribution agreement for episil oral liquid, a unique and effective treatment for the pain of oral mucositis, a treatment-limiting side effect of some cancer therapies, as well as other oral lesions.

As part of the agreement Solasia receives exclusive commercialization rights to episil in Japan and China, where it has ongoing operations and is building a specialty pharmaceutical infrastructure in the area of oncology and cancer supportive care. Solasia plans to first launch episil in China followed by Japan.

“We are pleased to enter into this collaboration with Camurus, and for the opportunity to commercialize episil in Japan and China” said Yoshihiro Arai, president and representative director of Solasia. “Solasia specializes in innovative oncology treatments, and episil will take its place as one of the core products in our oncology pipeline”, he continued, noting that episil fills an important unmet need in daily pain management associated with cancer care, and will contribute to improved quality of life for cancer patients in Japan and China.

“The new partnership with Solasia expands Camurus’ distributor network for episil oral liquid in two of the key markets in Asia”, said Fredrik Tiberg, president and CEO of Camurus. “This collaboration will provide patients suffering from oral mucositis and other painful oral conditions with a unique, safe and effective treatment solution. With Solasia, we have obtained a dedicated partner for episil, with a clear commitment to providing cancer patients in Japan and China with new and innovative treatment alternatives”, he added.

Solasia will pay a signing fee as well as development milestones and Camurus will supply Solasia's requirements of commercial product for Japan and PRC.

Oral Mucositis (OM) is a severe side effect of cancer therapies (chemo and radiotherapy) and is characterized by painful ulceration of the oral mucosa. OM affects nearly all head and neck cancer patients receiving radiotherapy (RT); 30%-75% of patients undergoing chemotherapy; and most patients undergoing conditioning regimens for hematopoietic stem cell transplant.4

OM is caused by damage to the DNA in the basal epithelial cell lining of the mouth leading to decreased cell proliferation ability. OM can prevent patients from eating, swallowing and speaking, and can limit the dosing and frequency of treatment for cancer. OM often necessitates hospitalization for re-hydration, opiate pain medication and total parenteral nutrition.

episil oral liquid represents a unique and innovative concept for local treatment of pain associated with OM. Developed using the award-winning Camurus proprietary technology FluidCrystal, episil is administered as a lipid-based liquid that spreads on the intra-oral mucosal surfaces and transforms to a strongly bioadhesive film that mechanically protects the sensitized and sore epithelium of the oral cavity. Clinically demonstrated, episil has been shown to rapidly (within minutes) and effectively reduce oral pain for up to 8 hours. episil oral liquid is the only product for OM that is supplied as a ready-to-use, pocket-sized device helping patients maintain their quality of life while undergoing cancer therapy. episil was first launched in Europe and is today commercially available in a number of countries, including the US and Canada, where it was launched by key global pharmaceutical players. episil oral liquid is a CE-marked medical device class 1 in Europe and a 510k registered medical device in the US.

Solasia was formed in November 2006 by MPM Capital and ITOCHU Corporation to address unmet needs for important new Western oncology therapies and supportive care products throughout Asia.

Camurus is a research-focused pharmaceutical company with a firm commitment to the development and commercialization of innovative specialty medicines that provide patients suffering from serious disease with better treatment outcomes and quality of life.