Archimedes Pharma wins the Scrip Award for SME Pharma Company of the Year

READING, UK, 20 November 2009 – Archimedes Pharma Limited (“Archimedes”), the pan-European specialty pharmaceutical company, won the Scrip Award SME Pharma Company of the Year at Wednesday’s ceremony at the Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London.

The Scrip Awards are voted for by a panel of esteemed judges from the pharmaceutical industry worldwide. The judging criteria included: excellent performance across a range of activities, such as a growth in revenue or of profit; increase in the value for shareholders; significant growth in products; and major new deals.

Archimedes won for a number of reasons. The Company’s lead development product is NasalFent, an innovative fentanyl citrate nasal spray, for the rapid release of breakthrough cancer pain, based on Archimedes’ PecSys™ technology. Archimedes has completed a full phase III programme for NasalFent. The judges were impressed with the filing of a regulatory dossier with EMEA and a US NDA filing in September, all against the backdrop of establishing a profitable, growing, commercial company.

Richard de Souza, CEO of Archimedes Pharma, said: “2009 has been a tough year for the life sciences sector, but against this backdrop we have worked extremely hard to meet key milestones for the company and its shareholders. It is extremely rewarding to see this recognised by Scrip and we look towards 2010 with great confidence.”

For further information, please contact
Archimedes Pharma: Michael Clark, +44 118 931 5050
Capital MS&L (for media enquiries):  Mary Clark, +44 20 7307 5330
Trout International LLC (for investor enquiries): Mike Booth, +44 20 7936 9326

Notes to Editors

About Archimedes Pharma
Archimedes Pharma (“Archimedes”) is a pan-European specialty pharmaceutical company marketing and selling an expanding portfolio of specialist products to hospital-based prescribers in major European territories.  

Focused on the oncology, pain, neurology and critical care sectors, Archimedes currently markets a range of products in the UK, France, Germany, Ireland and Belgium, and will continue to expand its commercial presence through partnering and acquisition activities during 2009.

Archimedes is also developing a robust, high value pipeline of in-house products in pain, Parkinson’s disease and critical care. It applies its world-class drug delivery technologies to proven molecules which have yet to achieve their market potential due to their current mode of delivery. This approach reduces the company’s development risk, while delivering significant clinical and commercial benefits.

The Group’s lead development product is NasalFent®, an innovative and highly differentiated fentanyl citrate nasal spray, for the rapid relief of breakthrough cancer pain. NasalFent® is based on Archimedes’ PecSys™ technology.  Initial Phase III data illustrates that NasalFent has a potential “best-in-class” profile among fentanyl products for breakthrough cancer pain and is the first product to demonstrate onset of pain relief within 5 minutes of dosing.  NasalFent was  filed for regulatory approvals in the US and European Union during 2009 and is targeted for launch from mid-2010.    

Archimedes technologies – ChiSys®, PecSys™ and TARGIT® – are also used in a number of partnered products in late-stage clinical development. ChiSys, an innovative drug delivery technology which enhances the residence time of molecules on mucosal membranes, has proven potential for vaccine delivery. Pre-clinical and clinical studies of nasally administered vaccines have demonstrated enhanced immune response.

Products currently marketed in Europe by Archimedes include: Gliadel, a biodegradable wafer impregnated with carmustine, for high-grade glioma; Zomorph, an oral sustained release morphine product for pain; Zibor, a second generation Low Molecular Weight Heparin for thromboprophylaxis, and Pabrinex, a high potency vitamin formulation used to treat the symptoms of malnutrition especially in patients with alcohol misuse problems.

For more information, please visit: www.archimedespharma.com

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