The drug Omacor has been approved for the treatment of post-infarct patients. The drug, that is developed by the Norsk Hydro subsidiary Pronova, will soon be launched in several European countries. A large clinical study concluded that Omacor reduced mortality in the treatment group by 20 per cent.
Omacor has been approved for the treatment of post-infarct patients in the UK, Germany, France, Austria and Greece. Applications for approval will be filed in a number of other countries. The Norwegian authorities are expected to approve the drug this spring. Omacor was developed at Norsk Hydro's Research Center in Porsgrunn. It is the first therapeutic drug ever developed in Norway. Pronova Biocare has entered into an agreement with the French pharmaceutical company Pierre Fabre for the marketing and sale of Omacor in France.
"We are very pleased that Omacor has been approved for the treatment of post-infarct patients. This is a result of many years of research and development efforts. We believe that Omacor will create interesting commercial opportunities for Pronova Biocare. Omacor is manufactured at our plant in Sandefjord", comments Pronova's president, Knut Harg.
The active ingredients in Omacor are EPA/DHA ethyl esters, which have several beneficial effects on the cardio vascular system. The GISSI Study covered more than 11 000 patients who were treated for 3.5 years. During the treatment period, Omacor reduced the mortality rate among patients who had suffered heart attacks by 20 per cent. The risk of sudden death was reduced by 45 per cent in the same group. The study indicates that Omacor saves as many lives as the use of statins (shown, for example, in "the LIPID trial"). The effects of Omacor come in addition to the effects of other cardio-vascular treatments such as hypertensives, statins and anti-platelet agents. Omacor has no serious side effects. The dosage for post-infarct patients is just one capsule per day, meaning the drug is easy to use.
Pronova is a wholly owned subsidiary of Norsk Hydro, which is responsible for innovative projects and business areas that are on the periphery of Norsk Hydro's core areas. Pronova's task is to deal with the vast diversity of ideas developed within Hydro, and to foster and nurture them during an 'incubation' period, then to see specific projects through to commercialisation. Pronova is to identify and define the value of these business concepts and help realise their long-term potential within or outside Hydro. Pronova's strategic focus is on ideas, projects and business activities based on the following common denominators: they must involve unique, cutting edge technology, and have a global perspective and an interesting long-term market potential.