PharmaMar Receives "Supporting A Cure In Our Time" Sarcoma Foundation Of America Award For Commitment With Research In Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 19 Nov 2008 - 9:00 PDT

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PharmaMar has received the Award "Supporting A Cure In Our Time" from the Sarcoma Foundation of America (SFA) for its "support in the search for an effective cure for soft tissue sarcomas," goal of the foundation, during the congress of the Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) held in London from 13-15 November. In the words of Matthew Alsante, Executive Director of the SFA: "It is with great pleasure that I present PharmaMar with a "Supporting A Cure in our Time" Award. PharmaMar has been a leader in sarcoma research and treatment, a cancer population that is very undeserved. It is with great appreciation that the Sarcoma Foundation of America recognizes PharaMar for their innovative efforts to improve the care and lives of patients affected with sarcoma. With few new and effective treatments for sarcoma patients, the development of Yondelis as a treatment option has been an important breakthrough for sarcoma patients."

The mission of the Sarcoma Foundation of America (SFA) is to act as an advocate for greater research to find new and better therapies with which to treat patients with sarcoma. The SFA raises its own funds to provide research grants to researchers from sarcoma. The SFA also interacts with the public and private sectors and with non-profit organizations to raise awareness of the needs for treatment of patients with sarcoma.

PharmaMar commercializes Yondelis in the EU for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma in adults, after failure of standard treatment. PharmaMar will start a phase III multicenter study of Yondelis as first-line therapy in patients with tumor traslocation, Ewing's sarcoma, or not rhabdomyosarcomatose soft tissue sarcomas. Also, Yondelis is being studied in solid tumors with high incidence and prevalence in the population, such as prostate, breast and lung cancer.

Yondelis® has been designated orphan drug for the treatment of soft tissue sarcomas and ovarian cancer in the European Union, United States, and Switzerland. The request for authorization to market Yondelis for the treatment of ovarian cancer is expected to be submitted to the EMEA in 2008. Yondelis is being developed by PharmaMar together with Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, LLC. According to the agreement between both parties PharmaMar will market Yondelis in Europe (including Eastern Europe), and Johnson & Johnson will market Yondelis in the US through its subsidiary Ortho Biotech Products, LP and Janssen-Cilag in the rest of the world.

About PharmaMar

PharmaMar is the world leader biopharmaceutical company of the Zeltia Group, committed to advancing the treatment of cancer through the discovery and development of new marine-derived medicines. PharmaMar has four novel compounds: Yondelis® has received Authorization for Commercialization from the European Commission for treating advanced soft tissue sarcoma. Yondelis® is currently being marketed in the European Union for the treatment of soft tissue sarcomas in adults after failure of standard therapy. Yondelis® is also in phase III for ovarian cancer and phase II for prostate, breast and paediatric cancers. Aplidin®, Zalypsis®, and Irvalec® are other marine-derived new agents in clinical development by PharmaMar, which also has a rich pipeline of preclinical candidates, and a strong R&D program. http://www.pharmamar.com

PharmaMar, based in Madrid, Spain, is a subsidiary of Grupo Zeltia (Spanish Stock Exchange, ZEL) that has been listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange since 1963 and the Spanish continuous market since 1998. This document is a press release, not a brochure. This document does not constitute nor is it part of any offer or invitation to sell or issue any application of purchase, offer, or shares subscription of the Group. Likewise, this document nor its distribution is part or can be of base for any contract or investment decision and does not constitute any kind of recommendation in relation with the shares of the Company.

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