Global giant Nestlé SA could sell off a peanut allergy drug that was the biggest prize of its $2.6 billion acquisition two years ago of Peninsula drug maker Aimmune Therapeutics Inc.said at an investment summit Tuesday that the company would explore strategic options for Palforzia, a capsule filled with finely ground peanut powder meant to desensitize the immune system's reaction to small, accidental peanut exposures.
Aimmune, with about 450 employees in Brisbane as well as North Carolina, London and Germany, also sells the delayed-release capsule Zenpep for people with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, which leads to problems digesting food. It also has a multinut allergy drug and a monoclonal antibody targeting the allergy antibody immunoglobulin E, both in early-stage clinical trials, as well as a gastrointestinal pipeline that includes microbiome therapeutics.
The roughly $11,000-a-year drug was groundbreaking because its precise portions of peanut powder standardized the ramping up of a food allergy treatment, rather than relying on doctors to carefully measure doses for individual patients. People with peanut allergies have traditionally relied on carrying EpiPens in case accidental exposure to peanut proteins in food ignites anaphylactic shock.
Nestlé took an impairment charge of 33 million Swiss francs — about $34.5 million — in North America in the first half of this year, a move Schneider said in July reflected the delay in rolling out Palforzia.
South Africa South Africa Latest News, South Africa South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: SFBusinessTimes - 🏆 78. / 68 Read more »