LUGANO, Switzerland, and ATHENS, Greece, February 28/PRNewswire/ -- HELSINN Healthcare SA, a Swiss pharmaceutical group, and GALENICA, a Pharmaceutical company based in Greece, announce the signing of an agreement granting GALENICA the exclusive License and Distribution rights for ALOXI(R) (Palonosetron hydrochloride) in GREECE.

ALOXI(R) is the second generation of serotonine (5-HT3) antagonists, the leading class for the prevention of nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy. ALOXI(R) has the special features of a strong and long lasting activity demonstrated in several clinical trials worldwide and a successful use in USA since September 2003.

In Europe the CHMP recommended ALOXI(R) approval for the following indications:

- the prevention of acute nausea and vomiting associated with highly emetogenic cancer chemotherapy, and

- the prevention of nausea and vomiting associated with moderately emetogenic cancer chemotherapy.

ALOXI(R) is registered and successfully marketed in USA by HELSINN's licensee MGI Pharma. The sales achieved a total of $ 159 million in 2004, fifteen months after its launch, with over a 1 million uses of the products. Antiemetic guidelines such as the 2004 US National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines indicated ALOXI(R) as the treatment of choice for the prevention of acute and delayed nausea and vomiting due to moderately emetogenic chemotherapies.

"We are progressing with our European strategy to find the best partners and we are glad to count GALENICA in Greece among them", said Dr. Riccardo Braglia, Managing Director of HELSINN HEALTHCARE SA. "GALENICA is a leading pharmaceutical company with a strategy to offer the best oncology treatment and supportive care product to the Greek patients. We look forward to a successful cooperation".

"In line with our longstanding strategy of heavily investing in research products in order to have a pronounced contribution in therapeutics and thus capture a leading position in the acknowledgement of Greek physicians, we are pleased to conclude such an important collaboration with HELSINN" said Dr Denis Varelas, Managing Director of GALENICA s.a. "After all it was a long lasting relationship with HELSINN that finally materialized as a business collaboration for Aloxi(R)."

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