EU approval looms for new CHE treatment

Basel, Switzerland — Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd., based here, announced recently that Toctino (alitretinoin), its new oral therapy for severe refractory chronic hand eczema (CHE), was recommended for regulatory approval under the European decentralized procedure, Marketwatch.com reports.

Recommendation for approval is the last step before national marketing licenses are granted. If approved, the drug will become the first authorized treatment for CHE and will be marketed under the brand name Toctino.

According to Marketwatch.com, the involved EU member states concluded that the drug’s profile is favorable for use in adults who suffer from severe CHE but who have not responded to treatment with potent topical corticosteroids.

Marketing applications for the use of alitretinoin in the treatment of CHE are also under regulatory review in Canada and Switzerland.