Biopartners Receives European Union Marketing Authorisation for its Biosimilar Recombinant Human Growth Hormone - Valtropin®

Baar, Switzerland 4 May 2006: Biopartners, a privately-owned biopharmaceuticals company has received marketing authorisation for the European Union from the European Commission for its biosimilar medicinal product Valtropin, a recombinant human growth hormone used for the treatment of human growth deficiency in children and Turner’s Syndrome. This is only the second biosimilar product to receive EU marketing authorisation from the European Commission and confirms Biopartners’ position as a leader in the development of biosimilars. Biopartners, jointly with LG Life Sciences, has co-developed a number of biopharmaceutical products including Valtropin and a sustained release formulation of Valtropin. Biopartners in-licensed Valtropin from LG Life Sciences and has commercialization rights for Valtropin in Europe, Japan and other parts of Asia. 
“We are delighted to have gained EU marketing authorisation for Valtropin” stated Mr Jean-Noël Treilles, CEO of Biopartners. “As the first product in our broad and advanced pipeline to gain authorisation, this marks a major milestone for Biopartners. We aim to make Valtropin available to healthcare professionals and patients through our distributors before the end of the year.  Biopartners is currently developing a sustained release version of Valtropin that is currently in Phase III clinical trials.”

Professor Paul Saenger, Professor of Paediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, USA and Immediate Past President, Lawson Wilkins Paediatric Endocrine Society also welcomed the marketing authorisation. “Valtropin will provide paediatric endocrinologists with a more cost-effective treatment option for growth disorders compared to the currently marketed growth hormone preparations and this in turn will allow us to treat more patients, which is great news.”