Burlington, Mass. — PharmaEssentia Corporation (TWSE: 6446), a global biopharmaceutical company based in Taiwan, announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, FORUS Therapeutics Inc., has received Health Canada approval for BESREMi (ropeginterferon alfa-2b) for the treatment of adults with polycythemia vera.
BESREMi is expected to become commercially available in Canada in the coming weeks.
Polycythemia vera is a rare, chronic blood cancer marked by the overproduction of red blood cells, which increases blood viscosity and can lead to serious complications, including thrombosis, stroke, myocardial infarction, and progression to myelofibrosis or acute myeloid leukemia.
“We are very pleased that Health Canada has approved BESREMi® for the treatment of adults with PV,” said Ko-Chung Lin, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of PharmaEssentia. “BESREMi® is a next-generation interferon demonstrated to provide durable hematologic and molecular responses, reduced symptom burden, and a favorable safety and tolerability profile. We look forward to working closely with Canadian hematologists and other key stakeholders to make BESREMi® available to patients living with PV across Canada.”
BESREMi is a next-generation interferon approved for the treatment of adults with polycythemia vera.
“PV is a chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm that requires long-term management to reduce the risk of complications and control symptoms. The approval of BESREMi® in Canada is an important and welcome development for patients living with PV and for the physicians who care for them,” said Shireen Sirhan, M.D., President, Canadian Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Group; Vice-President (Research), Quebec Research Group for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (GQR-LMC-NMP); Hematologist, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University Montreal. “The availability of an interferon therapy specifically approved for PV has been long anticipated within the Canadian MPN community and represents a meaningful expansion of the treatment options available to patients. This approval reflects continued progress in the field and supports a more individualized approach to the management of PV.”
