Apricus Biosciences, Inc. (“Apricus Bio”) (Nasdaq: APRI), announced today that Health Canada has granted marketing approval for Vitaros® as a first-line therapy for erectile dysfunction. Vitaros® is Apricus Bio’s proprietary, topically-applied, on-demand treatment for erectile dysfunction.
“We at Apricus Bio are thrilled to have received this approval from Health Canada. The achievement of this milestone is a testament to the focus and dedication of the Apricus Bio team and our success in executing on our stated growth strategy.”
Commenting on today’s news, Bassam Damaj, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Apricus Bio, stated, “We at Apricus Bio are thrilled to have received this approval from Health Canada. The achievement of this milestone is a testament to the focus and dedication of the Apricus Bio team and our success in executing on our stated growth strategy.”
Dr. Damaj continued, “Data from our clinical trials showed that patients responded to treatment within minutes of applying Vitaros. Now, for the first time, men suffering from erectile dysfunction will have access to a patient-friendly, on-demand topical treatment. We view this Canadian approval as a validation of the NexACT technology as a transdermal delivery mechanism that is safe and effective. We intend to quickly finalize our marketing strategy to bring the product to the Canadian patient population. In addition, we will use this approval as the basis for seeking registration of the product for marketing in over 100 international markets.”
Vitaros® incorporates alprostadil, a well-recognized vasodilator that is currently marketed as an injectable product or an intra-urethral insert product for patients with erectile dysfunction. Apricus Bio incorporated its proprietary NexACT drug delivery technology in the development of Vitaros as a patient-friendly topically-applied treatment for erectile dysfunction.
The product has been studied in over 3,300 patients including difficult to treat populations (diabetes, cardiac problems, sildenafil (Viagra®) failures and post prostatectomy patients). Vitaros demonstrated clinical efficacy and excellent safety profile versus the currently approved oral therapies, and is not contraindicated for patients taking alpha blockers or nitrate medication. Viagra® is a registered trademark of Pfizer.
Source : Apricus Biosciences, Inc.