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Press Releases

06 September 2011Renewed Partnership with Vitaflo Scandinavia AB

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharmaceutical company focused on niche therapeutic areas, has renewed its successful partnership with Vitaflo Scandinavia AB, one of Scandinavia's fastest growing companies in specialty pharma in the Nordic countries.

The agreement extends Vitaflo's exclusive rights to distribute some of SPL's niche hospital medicines and Epistatus® in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.

Vitaflo have been managing the compassionate availability of Epistatus® in the Nordic countries since 2007 and thousands of Epilepsy patients have benefited from its ease of access to physicians.

Special Products' Business Development Manager for Europe, Tim Brady, commented: "Over the last five years Vitaflo have established Epistatus® as an important medicine in the control of breakthrough seizures and physician support is widespread across the Nordic countries. We are delighted to continue our relationship with a partner who shares our commitment to quality, service and customer care."

Managing Director of Vitaflo Scandinavia AB, Håkan Josephsson, said: "We are delighted to renew our relationship with SPL and to continue our long and trusting relationship. Together we can make our businesses grow with existing and new, high quality medicines."

25 July 2011Commercialisation Agreement with UCL Business PLC and NCYPE for Epistatus®

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharmaceutical company focused on niche therapeutic areas, has signed a commercialisation agreement with UCL Business PLC (UCLB) and the National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy (NCYPE), a specialist epilepsy charity, in preparation for the marketing of the company's proprietary epilepsy treatment, Epistatus®, as a licensed medicine.

Special Products is currently seeking UK marketing authorisation for Epistatus®, which has been distributed internationally as an unlicensed medicine for more than 10 years on compassionate use. Epistatus®, a proprietary buccal formulation of midazolam maleate, is used to stop an epileptic seizure from developing into status epilepticus, a life-threatening condition.

The commercialisation agreement has been signed with UCLB, UCL's (University College London's) technology transfer company, and with the NCYPE. UCL’s Institute of Child Health and NCYPE were closely involved in the development of Epistatus®. Both institutions have worked with Special Products from the inception of the product 10 years ago.

Special Products filed for marketing approval from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) earlier this year.

Once the product is approved in the UK, it is intended that the marketing authorisation will be extended to other European countries and selected world markets.

Special Products' Chairman, Graham March, commented: "I am delighted to have signed this agreement with UCL and the National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy. We worked closely with UCL's Institute of Child Health and with NCYPE to develop Epistatus®, which we have made available as an unlicensed medicine for several years.

"This agreement for the commercialisation of Epistatus® as a licensed medicine is a very important step in the achievement of our ambition of making our life-saving medicines widely available for patients."

25 July 2011New Partnership with Lenis Farmacevtika d.o.o.

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharmaceutical company focused on niche therapeutic areas, has entered into a distribution partnership with Lenis Farmacevtika d.o.o. for its Melatonin products and Epistatus® in Slovenia. Demand for these products in Slovenia is strong and the partnership has been formed to allow SPL to continue its stated aim of ensuring compassionate access to its medicines to all patients who require them.

The agreement gives Lenis exclusive rights to distribute SPL's liquid formulations of Melatonin and Epistatus® in Slovenia for patients requiring them on a compassionate basis.

Special Products' Business Development Manager for Europe, Tim Brady, commented: "We are very happy to be working with Lenis. They have the experience and knowledge to make our medicines available on a compassionate basis for patients in need in Slovenia. Smaller markets can often have problems with accessibility to some drugs and Lenis are experts in providing medicines that are often neglected by bigger pharmaceutical companies."

Branko Huč, the founder of Lenis Farmacevtika d.o.o., stated: "We are very excited about our new business relationship with SPL – a company that really works for patients. It is so rewarding to be able to offer products that make a difference in patients' lives. Epistatus is such a product and we have already seen an enthusiastic welcome for it by doctors and patients alike."

06 May 2011Renewed Partnership with aVI Pharma International SA

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharmaceutical company focused on niche therapeutic areas, has renewed its successful partnership with aVI Pharma International SA, a leading Greek specialty pharmaceutical company.

The agreement extends aVI Pharma's exclusive rights to manage the access to some of SPL's niche hospital medicines and Epistatus® in Greece and Cyprus. aVI Pharma have been providing clinical support for Epistatus® in Greece since 2008 and thousands of Epilepsy patients have benefited from the work they have done to assist physicians in gaining access to Epistatus® on a compassionate basis.

Special Products' Business Development Manager for Europe, Tim Brady, commented: "Over the last three years aVI Pharma has managed the growth of Epistatus® as an important medicine in the control of breakthrough seizures and physician support is widespread throughout Greece. We are delighted to continue our relationship with a partner who shares our commitment to quality, service and customer care."

CEO of aVI Pharma, Niki Xenodohidi, said: "We are confident in a successful and long term partnership with Special Products Ltd. Together we are providing Health Care Professionals with the opportunity to treat and assist patients with rare diseases such as Epilepsy. We aspire to make these medicines available to all Greek patients who need them."

4 July 2011Application for Marketing Authorisation of Epistatus®

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharmaceutical company focused on niche therapeutic areas, is pleased to announce that it applied earlier this year for UK marketing authorisation for Epistatus®(buccal midazolam maleate), for the acute treatment of prolonged seizures (persisting beyond 5 minutes).

Epistatus®, a proprietary buccal formulation of midazolam maleate, was developed by Special Products in 2000 in close cooperation with UCL’s Institute of Child Health and the NCYPE and has been available internationally for more than 10 years on compassionate use with over 1 million doses distributed worldwide. The marketing application, which has been made to the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), is progressing through the regulatory process as expected and could be approved during 2011.

Special Products intends to seek marketing authorisations for Epistatus® in other European countries and selected world markets.

Special Products' Chairman, Graham March, commented: "We developed Epistatus® to satisfy an unmet clinical need and are therefore delighted to see it progressing through the regulatory process. Our ambition at Special Products is to make our life-saving medicines widely available."

01 December 2010New Partnership with Multipharma GmbH

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharmaceutical company focused on niche therapeutic areas, entered into a distribution partnership with Multipharma GmbH for its Melatonin products and Epistatus® in Germany.

Demand for these products in Germany is strong and the partnership has been formed to allow SPL to continue its stated aim of ensuring access to its medicines to all patients that require them.

The agreement gives Multipharma exclusive rights to distribute SPL's liquid formulations of Melatonin and Epistatus® in Germany for patients requiring them on a compassionate basis.

Special Products' Business Development Manager for Europe, Tim Brady, commented: "We talked to several companies about managing our medicines in Germany but Multipharma have the combination of skills and experience that we really need to manage our products both pre- and post- registration. We are delighted to have found a partner who shares our commitment to quality, service and customer care."

Managing Director of Multipharma GmbH, Kay-Christian Karstadt, said: "I am proud that Multipharma GmbH is able to contribute to closing the gap on unmet treatment needs of German patients through close collaborations with Special Products Limited."

1 August 2010Paul Maddock promoted to Commercial Director

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharmaceutical company focused on niche therapeutic areas, is pleased to announce that Paul Maddock has been promoted to the newly created position of Commercial Director, a role in which he will lead the company’s business development and commercial activities internationally. Paul, who joined Special Products on 1 November 2008 as National Business Manager, will also join the company’s Board of Directors.

Paul is a highly experienced pharmaceutical executive, having worked for more than 20 years in the industry. Much of his experience has been gained with the international pharmaceutical group Roche, where he held a range of management positions across a number of therapeutic areas and where he also gained an MBA.

Paul's focus at Roche was in sales and marketing. For eight years he was the head of primary care sales at Roche Products, a role in which he was responsible for a sales division of more than 70 representatives and managers.

Paul will be responsible for all commercial activities in core and emerging markets and for advancing Special Products' reputation as a supplier of high quality products with cost-effective pricing for local healthcare communities.

Special Products' Chairman, Graham March, commented: "I am delighted to welcome Paul Maddock to our Board of Directors in the newly created position of Commercial Director. His breadth of experience in sales and marketing has been clearly evident since he joined the company in November 2008 and I look forward to his continued contribution to the company in his new role."

16 July 2010Formation of US Affiliate

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharma company focussed on niche therapeutic areas, announces the formation of a US affiliate company that will seek US marketing approval for some of the company’s key products. The name of the new company will be revealed after the trademark applications and incorporation of the entity are complete.

After a detailed analysis of the North American market, Special Products has identified substantial commercial opportunities for up to 12 of its products in the US, the world's largest pharmaceutical market. The new US company will seek Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval of these products. The first application for drug approval will be filed with the FDA by the second half of 2011.

Michelle Welborn, PharmD has been appointed the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and John Warner, JD, MPA has been appointed the Chief Regulatory Officer (CRO) of the US corporation, which will be based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Michelle has significant experience of the US pharmaceutical industry gained at major companies including Sanofi-Aventis and Astra-Merck and in smaller and non-profit organisations. In addition to general management and business development, she has worked extensively in medical and regulatory affairs and has particular expertise in orphan drugs and rare diseases.

In more than 30 years in the pharmaceutical industry, John has gained extensive experience of pharmaceutical regulation. He has prepared a wide variety of FDA submissions and represented companies in numerous meetings with the FDA . He also has expertise in clinical trial management, the formulation of medicines and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Special Products' Chairman, Graham March, commented: "We believe that some of our products could meet significant unmet patient needs in the US thereby bringing a substantial commercial opportunity to Special Products. Having taken the first step of creating a US company we now look forward to advancing some of our products through the US regulatory system and making those products available to patients."

1 June 2010Special Products Appoint Business Development Manager – Europe

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharma company focused on niche therapeutic areas, is pleased to announce the appointment of Tim Brady in the newly created position of Business Development Manager - Europe.

This new appointment underlines Special Products’ commitment to building on its current activities in continental Europe, where the company already exports to countries such as Germany, Spain, the Nordic Countries, Greece and Portugal. Tim Brady is an experienced pharmaceutical executive with 25 years' experience in sales, marketing strategy and general management and with a particular expertise in business development. He has worked in senior positions in a number of specialty pharma companies including Orphan Pharma International (now EUSA Pharma), Meda Pharmaceuticals and most recently Genopharm Laboratories. His early career experience was gained at the pharmaceutical companies Rhone Poulenc Rorer (now Sanofi-Aventis) and Astra Pharmaceuticals (now AstraZeneca).

At Special Products, Tim will be responsible for developing sales through partnerships, alliances, joint ventures and out-licensing.

Special Products' Chairman, Graham March, commented: "We are delighted to welcome Tim Brady to Special Products. His appointment is another step towards achieving our objective of building a significant international pharmaceutical business focused on niche disorders."

1 May 2010Special Products announce Expansion of Dubai Office

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharma company focussed on niche therapeutic areas, is pleased to announce that it has expanded its Dubai office with the appointment of Dr Michael Kolta in the new role of Regional Sales Manager Gulf Countries and Iran.

Michael, who graduated in veterinary medicine, has a track record in sales and management at pharmaceutical groups including Eli Lilly & Co, Novo Nordisk and Menarini International. At Special Products, he will oversee the promotion of the company’s medicines in countries including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen and Iran.

Special Products' Dubai office, which is led by General Manager Maged Shaker, was opened in September 2009 to serve the Middle East and North Africa region along with additional countries including Turkey, Iran, India and Pakistan.

Special Products' Chairman, Graham March, commented: "Since opening last year, the Dubai office has provided us with a successful presence in the MENA region. I'm delighted that the office is now expanding and would like to welcome Michael Kolta to Special Products, where he will have a particular focus on the Gulf and Iran."

25 February 2010Richard Drury appointed as Corporate Development Director

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharma company focussed on niche therapeutic areas, is pleased to announce that it has further strengthened its executive team with the appointment of Richard Drury as Corporate Development Director.

Mr Drury has had a long, varied and successful career in the healthcare industry. He worked initially in sales and marketing at major companies including Sandoz before founding Maelor plc in 1992 and floating it five years later on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. (Maelor has since been renamed IS Pharma plc.) Since 2002, Mr Drury has provided consultancy services to the pharmaceutical and medical device industries in areas including business development, licensing negotiations and corporate finance.

In addition, Mr Drury chairs the privately held medical device companies Viscus Medical, Mitre Innovations and MeditrEn and is a non-executive director of the e-commerce company Easychemicals.

Special Products' Chairman, Graham March, commented: "I am delighted to welcome Richard to Special Products as Corporate Development Director. His appointment follows some valuable work he has carried out as a consultant to the company. Richard’s vast experience of the healthcare industry and of business development will be a significant asset to Special Products going forwards."

14 December 2009Ken Herbert appointed as Chief Technical Officer

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharma company focused on niche therapeutic areas, is pleased to announce that it has appointed Ken Herbert as Chief Technical Officer to lead the company’s technical, product development and regulatory affairs activities.

Mr Herbert is a product development specialist with more than 25 years’ experience in R&D, formulation, regulatory affairs and project management. His experience has been gained in both prescription and over-the-counter medicines at a wide range of companies including Smith & Nephew, SmithKline Beecham and Sandoz. He has also worked at smaller companies including his most recent role as Director of Technical and Regulatory Services at Custom Pharmaceuticals, a UK-based contract manufacturer.

An industrial chemist by training, Mr Herbert has expertise in all aspects of product development from R&D through to marketing authorisation.

Special Products' Chairman, Graham March, commented: "I am delighted to welcome Ken to Special Products as Chief Technical Officer. His extensive experience of product development, particularly in formulation, project management and regulatory affairs, will further strengthen the technical resources at Special Products, positioning the company for the next stage of its growth."

1 December 2009Expansion of Weybridge Headquarters

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharma company focussed on niche therapeutic areas, is pleased to announce that it has expanded its headquarters in Weybridge, Surrey, to support the next phase of the company’s growth.

This expansion has taken place via a major redesign of the two-storey headquarters building, which the company moved to in March last year.

Useable space has been maximised on both floors by the adoption of an open plan layout, supported by a small number of meeting rooms. In addition, a new mezzanine floor has been installed above the ground-floor loading bay to create further open-plan space on the second floor. The two-storey warehousing bay has also been reorganised and expanded with the installation of a floor-to-ceiling racking system and dedicated packing areas for the UK and export markets.

The headquarters building, on the Brooklands Business Park, comprises office space to accommodate management, regulatory, product development and sales functions along with the temperature-controlled warehouse for product storage prior to distribution.

Special Products' Chairman, Graham March, commented: "The expansion of our headquarters has created significant additional space, both in warehousing and in administration. The additional space, and improvements in efficiency, will help to support the next phase of the company's growth."

30 October 2009Special Products licenses epilepsy treatment to Phebra in Australia and New Zealand

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharma company focussed on niche therapeutic areas, announced today that it has entered into an exclusive licence and distribution agreement with Phebra Pty Ltd.. Under this agreement Phebra will distribute one of SPL’s products for patients with status epilepticus, in Australia and New Zealand.

Status epilepticus is a medical emergency. It is defined as a condition in which there is more than 30 minutes of continuous seizure activity, or two or more seizures lasting more than 30 minutes in which the patient does not regain full consciousness between each seizure. Status epilepticus has been estimated to affect 20 per 100,000 people worldwide, which is equivalent to more than 4,000 people in Australia. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, there are more than 1,300 hospitalisations for status epilepticus every year in Australia.

"We are very pleased to have entered into this collaboration with Phebra," said Robert Jackson, CEO of Special Products. "This exclusive deal provides a new opportunity for Special Products and gives us an ability to reach the Australian and New Zealand markets, thus ensuring that patients in these markets, who are unable to benefit from licensed treatment, have the opportunity to access alternative treatment under the responsibility of their prescribing physician."

Commenting on the transaction, Dr Mal Eutick, CEO of Phebra, stated: "We are delighted to have obtained exclusive rights to the SPL product. The product will provide an important addition to our range of critical medicines, which we provide to the Australian and New Zealand market."

1 October 2009Special Products Limited Forms in-house Clinical Liaison Team

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharma company focussed on niche therapeutic areas, is pleased to announce that it has strengthened its service to UK healthcare professionals by forming an in-house team of clinical liaison officers (CLOs).

The formation of the team underlines Special Products' commitment to ensuring the appropriate use of the company’s unlicensed medications.

The team of four CLOs will respond to requests from clinicians, nurses and purchasers and provide comprehensive data associated with the composition of the company's products and current clinical practice. Patient information leaflets and DVD training materials, which have been designed alongside NHS stakeholders, are available free of charge from the CLOs.

Special Products' Chairman, Graham March, commented: "The formation of a team of in-house CLOs underlines our commitment to ensuring the highest quality of service to healthcare professionals and to ensuring the appropriate use of our unlicensed medicines. I would like to welcome the team to Special Products and look forward to working with them".

21 September 2009Special Products Opens MENA Office in Dubai

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharma company focussed on niche therapeutic areas, is pleased to announce that it has opened an office in Dubai to serve the Middle East and North Africa region along with additional countries including Turkey, Iran, India and Pakistan.

The Dubai office is being led by a highly experienced General Manager, Maged Shaker, who has broad international experience in management and the healthcare sector and who recently gained an MBA from the University of Atlanta.

Maged worked for seven years at Nestlé as medical field manager of Oman & Qatar. His experience also includes working for five years at Novo Nordisk, the Danish pharmaceutical group, where he had responsibility for the Upper Egypt region.

The key role of the Dubai office is to develop Special Products’ business in the MENA region through the appointment and management of effective distribution partners.

Special Products' Chairman, Graham March, commented: "The opening of our Dubai office is a major step forward in our strategy for achieving substantial international sales at Special Products. I am delighted to welcome Maged Shaker to the company and am confident that he will build significantly on our existing sales in the MENA region."

1 September 2009Jason Saiban appointed as Non-Executive Director

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharma company focussed on niche therapeutic areas, is pleased to announce that it has further strengthened its Board of Directors with the appointment of Jason Saiban as a Non-Executive Director.

Mr Saiban, an experienced lawyer, is a partner at the City law firm Charles Russell LLP, which he joined in 1998 and where he specialises in commercial contracts. He has particular expertise in outsourcing, managed services, logistic procurement and licensing in sectors including healthcare.

Special Products' Chairman, Graham March, commented: "I am delighted to welcome Jason to Special Products as a Non-Executive Director. His broad commercial experience and insight will further strengthen the Special Products Board."

27 March 2009Special Products moves to new headquarters in Weybridge, Surrey

Special Products has moved into a new headquarters and warehouse facility in Weybridge, Surrey, to enhance customer service and to provide capacity for the company’s growth.

The new headquarters, at Brooklands Business Park, is positioned close to the M25 to allow rapid distribution of products by road and to provide easy access to Heathrow airport and London.

The headquarters includes office space to accommodate management, regulatory, product development and sales functions along with a temperature-controlled warehouse for product storage prior to distribution.

The headquarters provides sufficient capacity for the company's ambitious near-term growth plans, which include expanding international sales through a growing network of local and regional distributors.

The address of the headquarters is:

Special Products Limited
Unit 16, Trade City
Avro Way
Brooklands Business Park
Weybridge
Surrey KT13 0YF
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)1932 690325

2 June 2008Anthony Clayden appointed as Chief Financial Officer

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharma company focussed on niche therapeutic areas, is pleased to announce the appointment of Anthony Clayden, a highly experienced accountant and finance executive, as Chief Financial Officer.

Mr Clayden, a chartered accountant, has considerable experience of the healthcare and intellectual property sectors. He joins Special Products from Futura Medical plc, the AIM-quoted consumer healthcare company where he was Finance Director for the past seven years. Mr Clayden's early career was in the corporate finance operations of the accounting firms PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG and BDO Stoy Hayward, where he advised on numerous transactions across technology, services and other sectors.

Special Products' Chairman, Graham March, commented: "I am delighted to welcome Anthony to Special Products. His wealth of experience of financial strategy and management in the healthcare sector will be of great value to the future development of the company."

16 April 2008Theresa Wallis appointed as Non-Executive Director

Weybridge, Surrey, UK - Special Products Limited, the specialty pharma company focussed on niche therapeutic areas, is pleased to announce the appointment of Theresa Wallis, a corporate adviser with unrivalled experience, as a Non-Executive Director.

Theresa Wallis's impressive track record spans privately held and quoted companies and includes executive, non-executive and consultancy roles. She has a particular interest in technology commercialisation and in growth companies.

For 12 years, Theresa Wallis worked at the London Stock Exchange in roles that included Chief Operating Officer of the AIM market. Currently, she is a board member or consultant to a number of businesses in positions including non-executive chairman of LiDCO plc, the medical technology company.

Special Products' Chairman, Graham March, commented: "It is a privilege to welcome Theresa to Special Products' Board. Her impressive breadth of experience and her particular focus on technology commercialisation and growth companies will be of great value in the future development of the company."