27th Jan 2006 07:01
Bespak PLC27 January 2006 For immediate release 27 January 2006 Bespak plc Welcomes European Regulatory Approval of Exubera(R) Bespak plc (LSE: BPK), a leader in specialty medical devices, is pleased to notethat Pfizer Inc today issued an announcement that the European Commission hasapproved Exubera(R) (inhaled human insulin) for the treatment of adults withtype 1 and type 2 diabetes. Exubera(R) is the first non-injectable, inhalableform of insulin to be approved since the discovery of insulin in the 1920s, andrepresents a major advance in diabetes treatment. Bespak, in conjunction with Nektar Therapeutics, has developed the manufacturingprocess for Exubera's inhalation device and the Company will manufacture thedevice at its purpose designed facility in Milton Keynes. According to the World Health Organization, diabetes has reached epidemicproportions and affects approximately 48 million people in Europe alone. Peoplewith diabetes often suffer from debilitating complications due to uncontrolledblood sugar levels, including heart disease, amputation, blindness and kidneyfailure. The direct healthcare costs associated with diabetes are estimated tobe around $286 billion worldwide, with the majority of these costs linked totreating diabetes-related complications. Mark Throdahl, Bespak's Chief Executive, said: "We are delighted that Exubera(R), a drug with the potential to achieve blockbuster sales, has been approvedin Europe and we look forward to the start of commercial production of thedrug's delivery device." Hank McKinnell, Pfizer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said: "Exubera(R)is a major, first-of-its-kind, medical breakthrough that marks another criticalstep forward in the treatment of diabetes, a disease that has taken an enormoushuman and economic toll worldwide." For further information, please contact: Bespak plc Tel: +44 (0) 1908 525240Mark Throdahl - Chief ExecutiveMartin Hopcroft - Finance Director Buchanan Communications Tel: +44 (0) 20 7466 5000Tim Thompson / Mark Court / Mary-Jane Johnson Notes for Editors: About Bespak plc Bespak, a leader in specialty medical devices, develops delivery systems for thepharmaceutical industry and disposable airway management products for criticalcare settings. Bespak's product range includes metered dose and dry powderinhalers, actuators, inflation valves, disposable face masks, breathing circuitsand laryngeal tubes. The group, which has facilities in King's Lynn and MiltonKeynes in the UK and Indianapolis and Kent, Ohio, in the US, is quoted on theOfficial List of the London Stock Exchange (LSE: BPK). For more information,please visit www.bespak.com. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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