Therapy Areas

Ferring’s work in its key therapy areas is always driven by the same goals: to develop products that treat unmet medical needs and to develop easy to use drug delivery systems for those products.

Reproductive Health
Ferring is a leader in assisted reproductive technology (ART) for fertility treatment and produces treatments to prevent premature labour. Ferring is constantly undertaking research in this area to meet the increasing needs of patients, particularly for fertility treatment as increasing numbers of couples need help to conceive.

Ferring has developed MENOPUR [url: "http://www.ferringfertility.com/medications/menopur/" ] (menotropin) and BRAVELLE [url: "http://www.ferringfertility.com/medications/bravelle/" ] (human follicle stimulating hormone) to stimulate the ovaries, DECAPEPTYL (GnRHa agonist) to control the timing of ovary stimulation and CHORAGON (hCG) to induce ovulation.

To help manage and prevent premature labour, Ferring produces TRACTOCILE (atosiban) which came out of research and development on oxytocin antagonists.

Urology
Ferring is committed to urological disorders such as antidiuresis, diabetes insipidus1, enuresis2 and nocturia3. Ferring’s lead product in this area is MINIRIN (desmopressin) which effectively treats enuresis in children and nocturia in adults.

For treatment of patients with advanced prostate cancer Ferring is developing the 3-month dosing regimen of FIRMAGON (degarelix), a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor4 antagonist or inhibitor, while the 1-month dosing regimen has been approved in the US and Europe in this indication.

Gastroenterology
Ferring is committed to further develop and increase its presence in the therapeutic area of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) with an established portfolio of products and current developmental initiatives to bring new products to market. Ferring has a strong heritage of educational support, sponsorship and clinical research within IBD.

Ferring’s key product PENTASA [url: "http://www.pentasaus.com/" ] is indicated for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases5 (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease6 and ulcerative colitis7. Ferring offers many different dosage-forms for PENTASA [url: "http://www.pentasaus.com/" ] such as tablets, sachets, suppositories and rectal suspensions and is currently developing further-improved formulations to meet changing patient and physician needs.

The Ferring gastroenterology portfolio also includes bowel preparations used to prepare patients for colonoscopy, and GLYPRESSIN which is indicated for the treatment of bleeding oesophageal varices. Ferring also has a global licensing agreement (excluding the US and Japan) with Cosmo Pharmaceuticals SpA for budesonide MMX™, which is currently being studied for use in ulcerative colitis (see press release [url: "/en/newsroom/pressreleases/2007/Ferring+Pharmaceuticals+Forges+Worldwide+Licensing+Agreement+for+Budesonide+MMX™.htm" ]).

Gastroenterology Products in Early Development
Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Conaris Research Institute AG announced in December 2008 that they have completed an exclusive worldwide license agreement for the development of FE301 a new recombinant protein inhibitor of the IL-6 pathway for inflammatory conditions such as IBD and rheumatoid arthritis (see press release [url: "/en/newsroom/pressreleases/2008/Ferring+and+Conaris+complete+license+agreement+for+new+recombinant+molecule+in+gastroenterology.htm" ]).

Endocrinology
Ferring produces a recombinant8 human growth hormone (hGH) ZOMACTON [url: "http://www.somatropin.net/ferring.htm" ] (somatropin) to treat growth failure in children and Turner’s syndrome in girls. Ferring is now working on adapting ZOMACTON in order to treat adult growth hormone deficiencies.

Other
Ferring does not however restrict itself to these four key areas, but is open to working to treat diseases in other therapy areas. For example, following the acquisition of Israeli biotech company Bio-Technology General (BTG) in 2005, Ferring has become active in the area of hyaluronic acid9 products such as EUFLEXXA [url: "http://www.euflexxa.com/" ] and BIOLON.

In addition, Bio-Technology General (acquired by Ferring in 2005) is undertaking development work on recombinant biologics.

Glossary Entries
1) diabetes insipidus - Rare form of diabetes in which the kidney tubules do not reabsorb sufficient water. This can be because (a) either the renal tubules have defective receptors for antidiuretic hormone (ADH, vasopressin) or (b) a class of aquaporin water channel in the collecting duct is defective or (c) there is inadequate ADH production by the pituitary, leading to the excessive production of dilute urine.
2) enuresis - Involuntary discharge of urine after the age at which urinary control should have been achieved, often used alone with specific reference to involuntary discharge of urine occurring during sleep at night (bed wetting or nocturnal enuresis).
3) nocturia - Defined as waking at night, one or more times, to void.
4) receptor - In biochemistry, a receptor is a protein on the cell membrane or within the cytoplasm or cell nucleus that binds to a specific molecule (a ligand), such as a neurotransmitter, hormone, or other substance, and initiates the cellular response to the ligand. Ligand-induced changes in the behavior of receptor proteins result in physiological changes that constitute the biological actions of the ligands.
5) inflammatory bowel diseases - Refers to a group of inflammatory conditions of the large intestine and, in some cases, the small intestine. It should not be confused with IBS, irritable bowel syndrome, which is less severe.
6) Crohn’s disease - Chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, most commonly the small intestine and colon. Crohn's disease increases the risk for colorectal cancer and small intestine cancer. It can also be called regional enteritis.
7) ulcerative colitis - Chronic inflammation of the colon that produces ulcers in its lining. This condition is marked by abdominal pain, cramps, and loose discharges of pus, blood, and mucus from the bowel.
8) recombinant - In genetics, describes DNA, proteins, cells, or organisms that are made by combining genetic material from two different sources. Recombinant substances are made in the laboratory and are being studied in the treatment of cancer and for many other uses.
9) hyaluronic acid - (HYALURONAN) The natural substance found in the fluid that surrounds a healthy knee joint and helps cushion, lubricate, and protect the knee.

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