Alcon completes acquisition of Sirion drugs

Huenenberg, Switzerland

-Alcon Laboratories Inc. has received regulatory approval and finalized the acquisition of the rights in the United States for difluprednate ophthalmic emulsion 0.05% emulsion (Durezol) and the global rights, excluding Latin America, for cyclosporine (Zyclorin) from Sirion Therapeutics Inc. Alcon immediately assumed responsibility for all marketing, promotion, and sales of the difluprednate formulation.

The difluprednate formulation is a topical ophthalmic corticosteroid used to treat postoperative inflammation and pain associated with ocular surgery. It received FDA approval in 2008. The cyclosporine formulation, not approved by the FDA, is a topical ophthalmic immunomodulator and immunosuppressive agent under clinical investigation to treat dry eye and other ocular surface diseases.

“This acquisition reinforces our ability to drive growth in the near-term with the acquisition of [difluprednate] and add products to our long-term research pipeline with [cyclosporine],” said Stuart Raetzman, Alcon’s vice president of global marketing and area president for the United States. “[Difluprednate’s] unique capability to . . . treat both inflammation and pain [effectively and quickly] following ocular surgery makes it a great fit for Alcon’s . . . product portfolio.”

In related news, Alcon management, in a news release, said that it is continuing to evaluate options to acquire Sirion’s ganciclovir ophthalmic gel 0.15% formulation (Zirgan), an antiviral recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of acute herpetic keratitis (corneal ulcers).