Palm Beach, FL 2/28/12 (StreetBeat) -- Alimera Sciences, Inc., (Nasdaq:ALIM) (Alimera), a biopharmaceutical company that specializes in the research, development and commercialization of prescription ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, today announced the positive outcome of the Decentralized Procedure (DCP) for ILUVIEN(R) in Europe. The announcement follows the issuance of the Final Assessment Report from the Reference Member State (RMS), the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency of the United Kingdom (MHRA), and the agreement of all the Concerned Member States (CMS) that ILUVIEN is approvable.The regulatory process will now enter the national phase of the DCP in which the RMS and each CMS grants its national license. The CMS include Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain. ILUVIEN will be indicated for the treatment of vision impairment associated with chronic DME considered insufficiently responsive to available therapies.
The International Diabetes Federation estimates that, in these seven countries alone, 22.1 million people are currently living with diabetes. By comparison, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that Americans with diabetes now number 25.8 million. Alimera estimates that within the seven CMS countries, 1.2 million people suffer from DME.
"Achieving a favorable conclusion for ILUVIEN in Europe is a significant milestone for Alimera and very encouraging for the many patients with this challenging chronic disease," said Dan Myers, president and chief executive officer, Alimera Sciences. "We will continue to work closely with the UK and the Concerned Member States to ensure that ILUVIEN is made available to patients as soon as possible."
ILUVIEN is Alimera's sustained release intravitreal implant that releases sub-microgram levels of fluocinolone acetonide (FAc) for up to 36 months for the treatment of chronic DME. The clinical trial data showed that in patients with chronic DME at month 30, after receiving the ILUVIEN implant, 38 percent of patients experienced an improvement from baseline in their best corrected visual acuity on the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) eye chart of 15 letters or more. At the completion of the 36-month study, 34 percent had achieved the same result. This effect was highly statistically significant as compared to the sham control group, which received laser and other intravitreally administered therapies.
"Our market research indicates that, given DME is a leading cause of blindness in working-age adults, there is a significant opportunity for an effective ophthalmic drug to treat patients insufficiently responsive to available therapies," said Dave Holland, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Alimera Sciences. "An effective, truly long-term treatment option could have a very positive impact on the quality of life for patients with this chronic debilitating disease."
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