Servier Canada Announces the Availability of ZEVALIN®, the Only Single-course Chemo-free Treatment Regimen for the Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Indolent B-cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Français
LAVAL, QC, Sept. 11, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - Servier Canada announces that ZEVALIN® (ibritumomab tiuxetan) is now available for prescription in Canada. ZEVALIN® is a radiopharmaceutical which combines the unique precision of a monoclonal antibody (ibritumomab tiuxetan) with radiotherapy (Yttrium-90) to target cancerous B-cells and eliminate them. ZEVALIN® is the only single-course chemo-free treatment regimen approved by Health Canada for patients with relapsed or refractory low-grade or follicular, CD20 positive, B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, including patients with rituximab-refractory follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
The efficacy and safety of ZEVALIN® has been studied in 3 registrational clinical trials enrolling rituximab-refractory, rituximab-naïve and mild thrombocytopenic patients. For more information regarding ZEVALIN®, please visit www.ZEVALIN.ca. ZEVALIN® can be ordered via the STAR (Servier Therapy Access Resources) program, which facilitates ordering and logistics related to the product.
"ZEVALIN® adds another treatment option for patients with indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who have failed prior standard therapies" says Dr. Pierre Laneuville, Associate Professor of Medicine from the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal. "I have used it in the past for my patients, some of whom are still in remission 10 years later, I am glad to have it back", he added.
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is the fifth most common malignancy in Canada. It is estimated that 8,300 patients were diagnosed with NHL in 2017. Low-grade or indolent NHL represents a B-cell subtype of slow growing lymphoma. Most patients with indolent B-cell NHL are diagnosed in advanced stage. Goals in the treatment of indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma include prolonging cancer-free survival of the patient, achieving symptomatic control of the disease, preventing potential complications and improving quality of life. There is no consensus in Canada on how to treat relapsed and refractory indolent NHL, which is largely incurable. Therefore, the clinical management of these patients remains a true clinical challenge.
"I am very pleased that ZEVALIN® is now available in Canada, offering another treatment option for indolent lymphoma patients whose disease has progressed" said Elizabeth Lye of Lymphoma Canada. "Indolent lymphoma is an incurable disease. Patients should have access to an array of treatments to be able to fight the disease when it relapses" she added.
"Oncology is a priority for Servier Canada which is aligned with the company global strategy. Servier is fully committed to discovering and providing Canadian cancer patients with innovative treatment options. ZEVALIN® is the first in a series of novel treatments to be marketed in Canada." underlined Frederic Fasano, Chief Executive Officer of Servier Canada Inc.
With the recent acquisition of Shire's oncology business, Servier Canada has moved a step forward in strengthening its oncology portfolio with two other marketed products, ONCASPAR in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and ONIVYDE in metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.
About Servier Canada
Servier Canada was established in 1978 and is celebrating its 40th anniversary of operation in Canada. Servier Canada employs over 250 people across Canada and is currently marketing medicines in diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In January 2016, Servier acquired the commercial rights to a franchise of four hemato-oncology products in Canada. ZEVALIN® is the first to be launched and 2 other drugs are currently under review by Health Canada.
More information: www.servier.ca
About Servier
Servier is an international pharmaceutical company governed by a non-profit foundation, with its headquarters in France (Suresnes). With a strong international presence in 149 countries and a turnover of 4.152 billion euros in 2017, Servier employs 21,700 people worldwide. Entirely independent, the Group reinvests 25% of its turnover (excluding generic drugs) in research and development and uses all its profits for development. Corporate growth is driven by Servier's constant search for innovation in five areas of excellence: cardiovascular, immune-inflammatory and neuropsychiatric diseases, cancer and diabetes, as well as by its activities in high-quality generic drugs. Servier also offers eHealth solutions beyond drug development.
More information: www.servier.com
*ZEVALIN® is a registered trademark of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc. used under license by Servier Canada Inc.
SOURCE Servier Canada Inc.
Nadine DOUCET, (Office) 450-978-9700, ext. 4225, (Cell) 514-601-4881, [email protected], Website: www.servier.ca
Share this article