PharmaTelevision - Speedel’s Renin Inhibitor Success Story

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Video title: Speedel’s Renin Inhibitor Success Story

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Over a year on from their last discussion, Fintan Walton talks to Alice Huxley, CEO of the Swiss biopharmaceutical company Speedel. They look back at the company’s successes during 2007, in particular the launch of its renin inhibitor Tekturna® (aliskiren, SPP100) in the US and Europe. This is not only a first-in-class product, but the first of Speedel’s compounds to reach the market. The company’s plans to develop Tekturna further and to expand within the renin inhibitor field through its other drug candidates are also discussed. Alice goes on to offer an insight into the company’s strategy going forward in terms of whether it plans to in-license products or grow organically, and also talks about what 2008 may hold for Speedel.

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Speedel's successes during 2007.

Fintan Walton:

Welcome to PharmaVentures Business Review brought to you by PharmaTelevision the world's first on demand pharmaceutical television channel. We are here in San Francisco recording a series of interviews at the Annual JP Morgan conference. This conference was originally run by the famous Hambrecht and Quist Bank and it's one of the oldest events in biotechnology. Today thousands descend from around the USbut also from around the world into San Francisco to do financial deals and recently it's also become an important partnering event. I hope you enjoy the series of interviews we've done from some of the key companies attending this conference. Hello and welcome to PharmaVentures Business Review here in San Francisco. On this show I have Dr Alice Huxley, who is CEO of Speedel which is based in Basel in Switzerland, welcome to the show.

Alice Huxley:

Thank you very much Fintan. Good afternoon.

Fintan Walton:

Good afternoon to you. Now Alice Huxley you've been on our show before just over a year ago now I think so lot has happened in 2007 we are now in 2008 but 2007 was a pivotal year for you, your lead product was launched both in the US and in Europe and you've managed to pick up a Gold Award from the Wall Street Journal as well, you happy?

Alice Huxley:

Yes. Yes we are very happy. I am happy and my collaborators are happy as well. Indeed 2007 was very, very important you remember that Speedel is working in the area of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and you may remember from our previous interview that we managed to get to this our partner Novartis to bring the latest innovation in the area of cardiovascularand metabolic diseases in a form of a renin-inhibitorto the market.

Fintan Walton:

Okay. Well so I mean when we did do the interview before you were hoping to successfully conclude all your clinical trials get registration approvals so there you where in the on the brink of getting registration and so it in a way now things have changed for Speedel because before over a year ago you were a company that didn't have a product in the market now you have through your collaborator Novartis a product on the market does that change things for Speedel ?

Full video transcripts are available with PharmaTelevision Premium Content. Click here to buy a subscription or sign up for a 14 day free trial.

Fintan Walton

Dr Fintan Walton is the Founder and CEO of PharmaVentures . After completing his doctoral research on the genetics of cell proliferation at the University of Michigan(US)and Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland), Dr Walton gained broad commercial experience in biotechnology in management positions at Bass and Celltech plc (1982-1992).

Alice Huxley

CEO

Dr. Alice Huxley is CEO, President and co-founder of Speedel . Before the birth of Speedel in 1998, she was Global Project Manager at Novartis Pharma and has extensive experience in research and drug development process in a matrix-type pharmaceutical R&D organization. She has led several global multidisciplinary teams that have successfully brought innovative drugs to market.

PharmaVentures

PharmaVentures is a corporate finance and transactions advisory firm that has served hundreds of clients worldwide in relation to their strategic deal making in the pharmaceutical, life science and healthcare sectors. Our key offerings include: Transactions / deal negotiations; Product / technology valuations; Deal term advice; Due diligence & expert reports; Strategy formulation; Alliance management; and Expert opinion for litigation/arbitration cases. PharmaVentures provides the global expertise to ensure our clients generate the highest possible return on investment from all their deal making activities. We have experience of all therapeutic areas and can offer advice on both product and technology commercialisation.

Speedel

Speedel is a biopharmaceutical company that develops innovative therapies for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. It was founded in 1998 through the merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz, and has a focus in renin inhibition, a promising new approach with significant potential for treating cardiovascular diseases.In addition to SPP100Tekturna, now approved for use in hypertension, but still under development for other indications, the company's clinical pipeline includes two other renin-inhibitors (SPP635 in Phase II and SPP1148 in Phase I), an endothelin-A-receptor-antagonist (SPP301, in Phase II), and a direct-thrombin-inhibitor (SPP200, in Phase II).There are also several preclinical projects with other renin-inhibitors.Tekturna is partnered with Novartis.