Elan Drug Technologies

Friday 18 December 2009

ELAN DRUG TECHNOLOGIES CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF DRUG DELIVERY LEADERSHIP

DUBLIN, IRELAND, December 18th, 2009, Elan Drug Technologies, a business unit of Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN) celebrates today its official anniversary and forty-years of leadership in the drug delivery business.   Since its founding in Ireland in 1969, Elan’s drug delivery business has been led by bold and visionary pioneers and marked by a singular focus on developing and applying technologies and systems to unsolved drug formulation challenges.

 

"From the beginning, Elan has very much led the way in drug delivery with innovative solutions that have addressed real patient needs, which have consequently hugely benefited the pharmaceutical industry," said Shane Cooke, Executive Vice President and Head of Elan Drug Technologies. "It is with great pride that we celebrate 40 years at the forefront of the drug delivery industry and our position as the world’s leading drug delivery company.  We thank our employees, customers and associates who have been a part of our success through the years.”

 

Some major milestones of note:

• Elan becomes the first Irish company listed on the American Stock Exchange 
• Elan’s SODAS® technology is applied to one of the first pharmaceutical blockbuster products - the Cardizem® franchise in the US in the 1980’s and 1990’s
• TriCor®145, Abbott’s anti-cholesterol product, which incorporated Elan’s NanoCrystal® technology, achieves over $1B annual in-market sales.

Since 2001, 11 products have been approved and launched in the US alone incorporating its technologies, making Elan Drug Technologies, in terms of product launches, the most successful drug delivery company of the decade.  To date Elan’s drug delivery technologies have been commercialised in 35 products in more than 100 countries worldwide, contributing to client sales of over $2.7 billion in 2008 alone.  This year has seen the approval and launch of Janssen’s Invega® Sustenna™, bringing to five the number of licensed products launched using Elan’s NanoCrystal® technology. In October, Merck/Ono’s product EMEND® was approved in Japan, the first NanoCrystal® technology-based product approved by Japanese health authorities.   Acorda Therapeutics Fampridine-SR product, which is currently under review by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), was developed using Elan’s MXDAS™ hydrophilic matrix technology.  Fampridine-SR’s Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date is set for January 22nd 2010. 

 

Throughout its 40 years in business, Elan Drug Technologies has remained committed to using its extensive experience, drug delivery technologies and commercial capabilities to help clients develop innovative products that provide clinically meaningful benefits to patients.  Committed to innovation - whether in the products developed, advancing its existing technologies or developing new technologies, EDT has been driven by some of the best scientific talent in the area of drug delivery formulation. With 14 pipeline products in the clinic, multiple preclinical programmes and a strong client base, Elan Drug Technologies plans to maintain its position as the leading drug delivery company worldwide.

 

About Elan Drug Technologies

Elan Drug Technologies (EDT) is the world’s leading drug delivery company and is a business unit of Elan (NYSE:ELN). As a fully integrated drug delivery business, EDT delivers clinically meaningful benefits to patients, by using its extensive experience and proprietary delivery technologies in partnership with pharmaceutical companies to develop new and innovative products. From NanoCrystal® technology for poorly water soluble compounds, to customised oral drug technologies, EDT offers clients unrivalled drug delivery expertise with a suite of commercially launched, proprietary, technology-driven solutions. With 40 years experience in the drug delivery business, EDT has successfully brought 35 products to market for clients in over 100 markets worldwide. EDT has extensive product development, scale-up and manufacturing capabilities in the US and EU and a suite of over 1,900 patents/pending patents protecting its technology-based solutions. Products enabled by EDT technologies are used by millions of patients each day.  More information is available at www.elandrugtechnologies.com

 

Safe Harbour/Forward-Looking Statements
The statements in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A further list and description of the risks, uncertainties and other matters that confront us can be found in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008, and in our Reports of Foreign Issuer on Form 6-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

Source: Elan Corporation, plc

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