About Galderma & Photocure ASA

Metvix® and Aktilite® are registered trademarks of PhotoCure ASA, the developers of Metvix®.  PhotoCure ASA is responsible for the marketing and sales of Metvix® in the Nordic countries and Galderma is responsible for the marketing and sales of Metvix® in the rest of the world.

Below is a list of countries where Metvix is approved for use - please contact you local office for local prescribing information by clicking here:

Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Czech Republic
Denmark
Finland
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States
Norway

GALDERMA

Galderma is an international pharmaceutical company specializing in the research, development and marketing of therapeutic, corrective and aesthetic solutions for dermatology patients and a leading player in the worldwide dermatology market. Its expertise spans a broad spectrum of skin, hair and nail diseases. In 2007, the company had global revenues of 735 million euros.

Created in 1981, Galderma is a joint venture between Nestlé and L'Oréal. Galderma employs 2.700 people and is headed by President & CEO Humberto C. Antunes. The company has wholly-owned affiliates in thirty-one countries and a worldwide network of exclusive sales agents. The parent company is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, with Corporate Services in Paris-La Défense, France.

To drive sustained growth, Galderma commits 14.1 percent of revenues to research and development. Three R&D centers, entirely devoted to dermatology, undertake the discovery and development of innovative therapeutic solutions:

  • Princeton (NJ), USA (clinical development),
  • Tokyo, Japan (clinical development),
  • Sophia Antipolis, France (research and development). This 19.300-sq. meter state-of-the-art R&D center is Galderma's largest facility and positions the company as the world's leading investor in dermatology R&D.

Galderma has also over the past years invested in high-tech production facilities:

  • The Alby-sur-Chéran plant in the Haute-Savoie region of the French Alps was inaugurated in 1994. The plant currently delivers close to 27 million units per year to over fifty countries. Located at the same site, the industrial development unit takes new products from the lab to full industrial-scale production.
  • The Montreal plant in Canada started production in 2000. It has a capacity of 50 million units to meet the growing demand of the North American market where Galderma makes over half of its global sales. The production forecast for 2008 is estimated at 45,7 million units.
  • Lastly, Hortolandia (state of São Paulo) in Brazil, serves the regional markets.

Galderma's strategy for continued growth is to invest in its key brands on its major markets. Galderma products are sold in more than 65 countries and represented by more than 1.000 sales representatives. Differin®, the company's first home-grown product indicated for topical treatment of acne, and other major products for treating rosacea, psoriasis/SRD and onychomycosis (fungal nail infections) are the drivers of the portfolio.

The past few years have seen profound changes in the world of dermatology, as new biotech-based treatments are introduced and more procedures are performed in dermatologists' practices. Galderma takes part in this change and has extended its product range to include treatments for pigmentary disorders, skin cancers and medical solutions for skin senescence.

Committed to the future of dermatology, Galderma's ambition is to be recognized as the most competent and successful innovation-based company focused exclusively on meetings the needs of dermatology patients and physicians.

PHOTOCURE ASA

PhotoCure ASA is a Norwegian pharmaceutical company founded in 1993 and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. The company develops and sells pharmaceuticals and medical devices based on proprietary photodynamic technologies, targeting key dermatology and oncology markets. PhotoCure has two products with sales and marketing approvals: Metvix®, which is a product developed for the treatment of skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma and in situ squamous cell carcinoma) and pre-cancerous skin lesions (actinic keratosis), and Hexvix®, which is developed for the detection of bladder cancer. Both products are based on the same photodynamic technology, combining the drug known as a photosensitiser with a light source that activates the photosensitiser. PhotoCure is currently testing both products for new indications and aims to develop a pipeline of follow-on products and technologies.

PhotoCure, the PhotoCure logo, Metvix and Hexvix are trademarks or registered trademarks of PhotoCure ASA.