Nycomed and Immuron (IMC) intend to collaborate to complete the development of an antibody-based product based on Immuron’s technology and existing pre- clinical program to prevent influenza in humans. The aim is to target this product into the large over-the-counter cold-and-flu market. The influenza specific market is in excess of US$2 billion per year globally, while the pharmacy cold-and-flu segment of the OTC market is $150 million per year retail in Australia alone (according to IMS figures, 2008). Input in this product is expected to come from Immuron in Melbourne, Australia as well as from Jerusalem, Israel. Expertise from Nycomed will be sourced from both Nycomed in Europe and in Australia.
Nycomed is a privately owned pharmaceutical company that provides medicines for hospitals, specialists and general practitioners, as well as over-the-counter medicines in selected markets. Nycomed is one of the top 25 global pharmaceutical companies and 16 in rank world-wide for consumer healthcare products with a total net turnover of more than 3.5 billion Euro (AU$6 billion). Nycomed Australia, based in Sydney, has grown quickly over the last 7 years to achieve over AU$100 million turnover and employs 100 staff locally. Nycomed is most active in the areas of gastroenterology, respiratory diseases, pain management and tissue management. A key corporate strategy within Nycomed is to license in new promising products and to work with innovative partners to co-develop their concepts to a profitable conclusion.
Immuron is a biopharmaceutical company focused on oral immunotherapy using dairy- derived polyclonal antibody products for humans. Current products target infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, while more recent projects are targeting immunotherapy to influence chronic diseases such as diabetes type 2 and fatty liver (NASH), and to prevent and treat respiratory infection with influenza. Immuron’s main scientific alliances are with Hadassah Medical Centre (Israel) and University of Melbourne (Australia).
www.immuron.com
