BOTHELL – Nastech Pharmaceutical Co.’s vitamin B-12 nasal spray has received the Food and Drug Administration’s approval, creating a new option for patients with multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease and AIDS.
Those conditions and other diseases can cause vitamin B-12 deficiency, which can lead to anemia, intestinal problems and nerve damage.
Prior to 1997, the only way to treat those particular patients was with injections of the vitamin. Then, Nastech won approval for the gel form of Nascobal. Sales of the gel approached $5 million last year.
The nasal spray, however, may expand the drug’s use among patients who could benefit, said Rodger DeRose, president of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America.
Approval of the spray, called Nascobal, also brings a $2 million payment to Nastech from Questcor Pharmaceuticals, which will market and sell the product.
In 2003, California-based Questcor paid Nastech $18 million for the rights to Nascobal. The deal came after Nastech ended a previous partnership to market the drug.
Nastech will continue to make Nascobal in the gel and spray form at its New York manufacturing plant. That work eventually may shift to Nastech’s Bothell facility.
In November, the FDA told Nastech that no further tests of the Nascobal spray were necessary, signaling that final approval was near. Gordon Brandt, Nastech’s executive vice president of research and medical affairs, praised the agency’s fast action.
“Importantly, this makes the second FDA approval for Nastech and clearly demonstrates the capabilities and dedication of our regulatory and development teams,” Brandt stated.
Nastech’s stock rose 51 cents, or 5 percent, to close at $10.71 a share. Questcor’s stock price also increased on the news.
Reporter Eric Fetters: 425-339-3453 or fetters@heraldnet.com.
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