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Balerna, 29th November – PKU GOLIKE®, the brand new generation of Phenylalanine (PHe)-free medical food formula for Phenylketonuria (PKU) dietary management, powered by the patented drug delivery Physiomimic Technology, is now available for PKU patients and care givers in Italy, promoted and distributed directly by APR Applied Pharma Research s.a. (APR) through its local subsidiary, APR Italy.
The recent 9th Congress of the SIMMESN (Italian society for the Study of Inborn Metabolic Diseases and Newborn Screening), held in Catania last week, has been the perfect showcase to introduce to Italian healthcare professionals dealing with PKU the product range and the distinctive features of the patented amino acids (AAs) mixtures.
During the congress, the sponsored satellite Symposium, chaired by Prof. Alberto Burlina and involving among the others Prof. Anita MacDonald, gave the opportunity to get to know PKU GOLIKE®, the first and the only product line showing a physiological absorption of AAs, mimicking that of intact natural proteins.
The Symposium featured also a lecture by Dr. Giorgio Reiner, Corporate Director R&D at APR, who described the pharma-like development of the medical food PKU GOLIKE®, starting from the patented pharmaceutical technology – the Physiomimic Technology™ enabling the production of the AAs mix.
At the company booth APR’s staff offered to physicians and dieticians the chance to literally taste PKU GOLIKE® special coating micro granules and experience how the Physiomimic Technology ™ is also able to remarkably mask the typical unpleasant taste and odor of AAs as well as to prevent aftertaste, thus supporting PKU patients’ compliance to life-long dietary regimen.
“We are very proud of take to fruition of Italian PKU patients and caregivers our innovative product line which we are confident can make a difference for PKU patients, families and care givers.” said Paolo Galfetti, CEO of APR. “The launch of PKU GOLIKE® in Italy indeed marked a major step for our company: given the specific nature of the project and its relevance, we want to be in direct control of the distribution and promotion as well as to become a closer partner with HCPs and patients. Germany will follow very soon.”
About Phenylketonuria or PKU
Phenylketonuria or PKU is a rare, genetic, recessive metabolic disorder affecting about 50.000 people worldwide. PKU is characterized by the deficiency or the malfunctioning of a liver enzyme needed to process phenylalanine (“Phe”). PKU has to be treated through a strict, life-long, low-protein (low-Phe) dietetic treatment combined with a daily assumption of low-protein modified foods and medical food or irreversible mental and physical disabilities will develop.
About PKU GOLIKE®
PKU GOLIKE is an innovative food for special medical purposes (FSMP) consisting of a Phe-free amino acid mixture. For the first time a pharmaceutical technology has been applied to a FSMP and the innovative PKU GOLIKE, engineered with Physiomimic technology™, provides a prolonged-released of amino acids and grants a remarkable taste and odor masking while preventing aftertaste. This prolonged release leads to a physiological absorption of amino acids, similar to dietary proteins, to favor a more efficient amino acid utilization and health benefits. The improvement of free-amino acids’ organoleptic features aims to support compliance to the nutritional management of the diet for a better quality of life.
The product line is formed by: PKU GOLIKE PLUS 3-16 & PKU GOLIKE PLUS 16+ with amino acids, vitamins & minerals, and PKU GOLIKE PURE 3+ with only amino acids.
For more information about PKU GOLIKE® and the Physiomimic™ Technology, please visit: www.apr.ch/apr-pharma-products/medical-prescription/genetic-metabolic-disease/
About APR Applied Pharma Research s.a.
APR is a Swiss independent pharma company focused on development and commercialization of innovative, science-driven products designed to address unmet needs in niche or rare therapeutic areas on a global basis. APR combines drug development expertise with proprietary drug delivery technologies to deliver to patients suffering from rare diseases with solutions meaningfully improving their life and empowering caregivers with better ways to manage such rare diseases. APR has a balanced portfolio of revenue generating products marketed in all major markets, combined with a compelling pipeline of innovative products at different stages of development, specifically in the treatment of rare recessive metabolic disorders, rare dermatological and ocular diseases. APR’s products are commercialized by APR directly through its own sale and marketing teams in selected countries of Europe as well as through a solid global network of commercial partners.