ALK, a global, research-driven pharmaceutical company that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of allergies, announced today the signing of an exclusive agreement with Otonomy, a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of innovative therapeutics for neurotology, for the co-promotion of OTIPRIO® (ciprofloxacin otic suspension) for acute otitis externa (AOE) in the U.S. in patients six months of age and older due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.
“We are excited for this collaboration with Otonomy, the company that pioneered drug delivery technology to provide sustained exposure to the ear,” said Jorge Alderete, President, ALK, Inc. “OTIPRIO is already commercially available with an established J code to support buy-and-bill reimbursement. It also complements our existing allergy portfolio and supports our ongoing expansion into ENT and pediatrics, which uniquely positions us to effectively educate healthcare providers that seek to provide a single-dose treatment option to their patients.”
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Under the terms of the agreement, ALK will have exclusive rights to promote OTIPRIO for AOE to office-based healthcare professionals in the U.S. including ENT physicians, pediatricians and select primary care physicians. During the multi-year agreement, Otonomy will retain responsibility for supply chain, distribution, order-handling, the customer call center, pharmacovigilance and maintaining the NDA for OTIPRIO, while ALK will handle promotion of the product to healthcare professionals for AOE. ALK plans to begin promotional activities in support of the product in early July.
“The arrival of summer signals an increase in the number of swimmer’s ear infections we treat as people spend more time in the water for recreation,” said John Ansley, M.D., Carolina Ear Nose & Throat Clinic. “OTIPRIO provides an important option to treat patients, as young as six months old, with a single-dose antibiotic administered right in the doctor’s office.”
Acute otitis externa (AOE), also known as swimmer’s ear, is a common condition involving infection and inflammation of the external ear canal typically caused by bacterial infection. According to market data, there are approximately 4 million episodes of AOE each year in the United States. Symptoms include itchiness, redness, swelling, pain and pus draining from the infected ear.
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