SERB Announces the Acquisition of Veriton Pharma

                                                                     VeritonPharmaLtd-Logo

 

 

SERB expands presence in UK specialty pharmaceuticals and strengthens its neurology and rare disease franchise with the acquisition of Veriton Pharma

• First acquisition in the UK, substantially increasing SERB’s presence in the UK market
• Enhances SERB’s geographical reach, including a direct commercial presence in the UK, the Middle East and Australia and international distribution network
• Strengthens SERB’s product portfolio addressing critical conditions and rare and life-threatening diseases

 

20th May 2020 – SERB Specialty Pharmaceuticals (“SERB” or “the Company”), a leading European specialty pharmaceutical group focused on prescription medicines that address rare and life-threatening diseases, today announces the acquisition of Veriton Pharma (“Veriton”), a private pharmaceutical company specialising in the development of licensed and unlicensed medicines for patients with special requirements. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

 

Headquartered in Weybridge, UK, with offices in the Middle East and Australia, Veriton was founded in 1997 to develop medicines for a targeted range of rare diseases. Today, Veriton focuses on the development of licensed medicines for neurological conditions and rare metabolic disorders, and unlicensed medicines for rare diseases which cannot be treated with existing licensed medicines. The company has a portfolio of more than 60 specialised formulations and supplies its products to over 25 countries worldwide.

 

Veriton’s focus on specialty critical-care pharmaceuticals, is consistent with SERB’s mission to ensure the continuous availability of life-saving medicines and answer unmet medical needs. The company adds a highly complementary product offering and geographical footprint to SERB, with particularly strong distribution networks in the UK, the Middle East and Australia. Veriton will benefit from SERB’s reach and expertise in Europe to support the launch of its leading product, Epistatus®, a treatment of prolonged, acute, convulsive seizures in children and adolescents aged ten to less than 18 years, recently launched in the UK and registered in continental Europe.

 

The acquisition of Veriton takes the total number of add-on acquisitions made by SERB to five since November 2017, bringing SERB’s total products to around 80. During this period, SERB has transformed into a true pan-European player with direct presence in nine European countries, which will now be complemented by Veriton’s presence across the Middle East and Australia. SERB has made 50 new hires over the last two years and, following the integration Veriton, the Company’s team will be 110 strong.

 

Following the transaction, founder and Chairman of Veriton Graham March and the executive team will become shareholders of the combined Group.

 

Jeremie Urbain, CEO of SERB, commented: “Veriton is a perfect example of SERB’s strategy of complementing strong organic growth with the acquisition of high-quality companies that share our dedication to pharmaceutical products for critical conditions. Veriton shares our DNA, and its expertise and geographic footprint is an ideal addition to the SERB Group. Together we can develop even more essential drugs to help save lives around the world.”

 

Steve Jones, CEO of Veriton, commented: “We are delighted to join the SERB family and look forward to working together. SERB’s focus on critical care and answering unmet needs is closely aligned with Veriton’s history and approach, and as part of an integrated group we can take our growth to the next level.”

 

-ENDS-

 

 

About SERB

SERB Specialty Pharmaceuticals is a leading pan-European specialty pharmaceutical group, providing globally a reliable supply of prescription medicines to patient suffering from rare and life-threatening diseases.

Following strategic acquisitions and targeted developments, SERB has succeeded in establishing a consistent drugs portfolio focused on niche specialty pharmaceuticals, to ensure continuous availability of life-saving medicines and answer unmet medical needs.

Our commitment is to provide solutions against critical conditions globally and in the long-term.

https://serb.eu/ 

 

 

About Veriton Pharma

Veriton Pharma is a private pharmaceutical company specialising in the development of licensed and unlicensed medicines for patients with special requirements. Veriton is headquartered in Weybridge, UK, with offices in the Middle East and Australia. Since its foundation in 1997, Veriton has developed more than 60 products for a targeted range of therapeutic areas.

https://www.veritonpharma.com/

 

 

For further information, please contact:

Greenbrook Communications:

Alex Jones, Katarina Sallerfors, Fanni Bodri

SERB@greenbrookpr.com

 

 

 

 

 

The Pharmacy Show 6th and 7th October at the NEC Birmingham

 

Veriton are pleased to announce their return to The Pharmacy Show this year. We are excited to join pharmacy experts and key opinion leaders, new and existing suppliers and policy makers in keeping up with the latest development in the industry.

Come and find us on stand PC65, stop for a chat about our portfolio of CNS and Metabolic disease area Specials, and keep up to date with our growing business. We look forward to seeing you there and wish you a very successful Pharmacy Show.

SAPHNA Annual Conference 2019: HEALTH FOR ALL CHILDREN

SAPHNA Annual Conference 2019: 18th June in Manchester

We are delighted to be attending the upcoming SAPHNA Annual Conference; HEALTH FOR ALL CHILDREN – School and Public Health Nurses Turning the Tide.

SAPHNA drive forward the development of excellence in School Nursing practice across the UK and continuously strive for premium quality services for children and young people regardless of where they live and learn.

We look forward to the opportunity of meeting with over 200 delegates at this event to raise awareness of Epilepsy and provide the School Nursing community with any and all support needed.

Young Epilepsy online guide for school

Veriton Pharma is pleased to announce the online publication of the charity Young Epilepsy’s online guide for schools. This comprehensive resource aimed at improving the management and support of children with epilepsy in the school system was made possible through an educational grant provided by Veriton Pharma.

Young Epilepsy has updated their website with some background on the guide here

https://www.youngepilepsy.org.uk/news-and-events/news/new-online-guide-for-schools.html

and the guide itself can be found here

https://www.youngepilepsy.org.uk/guide-for-schools/

 

 

Young Epilepsy and Veriton Pharma Ltd announce key partnership agreement in support of the charity’s ‘Rules 4 Schools’ campaign

Young Epilepsy and Veriton Pharma Ltd (Veriton) have announced a key agreement, where the organisations will work in partnership to deliver the ‘Rules 4 Schools” element of the charity’s newly launched ‘#InTheMoment’ initiative.

Through this policy influencing initiative, Young Epilepsy is looking to break down the obstacles to opportunity for the 55,800 school aged children (5-18 years) with epilepsy in the UK1. Starting with the ‘Rules 4 Schools’ campaign, the key aim for the charity, supported by Veriton, is to challenge current thinking and encourage systemic change in priority areas.

Since 2014, all state schools in England are legally required to have a policy on supporting children with medical conditions such as epilepsy. This means that all children with epilepsy should have an Individual Healthcare Plan (IHP) which sets out essential information such as how the condition affects them and what to do in an emergency. However, Young Epilepsy believe many schools have some way to go in adequately supporting children with epilepsy.

Schools need to make sure that children with epilepsy have the support they need to fulfil their potential in an inclusive and safe environment. In a survey2 we carried out in 2017, we found that 1 in 3 (36%) of young people with epilepsy still don’t have an IHP at school and only 51% of families surveyed said that school staff had been trained to support a young person with epilepsy. This needs to be dramatically improved and we think the ‘Rules 4 Schools’ can help to achieve this.

Matt Robertson, Young Epilepsy

The ‘Rules 4 Schools’ campaign will concentrate on four key areas:

  1. Encouraging or working with schools to ensure all young people with epilepsy have an individual healthcare plan
  2. Encouraging or working with schools to have a policy on supporting pupils with medical conditions
  3. Achieving a requirement on schools to publish medical conditions policies on their websites
  4. Campaigning for school inspections to include a routine check for support for pupils with medical conditions

We are delighted to be working in partnership with Veriton on this critically important campaign and we really look forward to making a difference to as many young people with epilepsy as possible through the #InTheMoment – Rules 4 Schools initiative.

Matt Robertson

For more information about Young Epilepsy and the campaign, please visit www.youngepilepsy.org.uk/rules4schools and www.youngepilepsy.org.uk and https://inthemoment.org.uk

References:

  1. Joint Epilepsy Council (2011) Epilepsy prevalence, incidence and other statistics
    http://www.epilepsyscotland.org.uk/pdf/Joint_Epilepsy_Council_Prevalence_and_Incidence_September_11_(3).pdf
  2. Young Epilepsy (2017) Epilepsy support in schools: Survey of young people with epilepsy and their parents and carers
    https://youngepilepsy.org.uk/images/Epilepsy_support_in_schools_report_-_Oct_17.pdf

Further information:

Young Epilepsy is a member of the Health Conditions in Schools Alliance which is made up of over 30 organisations including charities, healthcare professionals and trade unions working collaboratively to make sure children with health conditions get the support they need at school.

Young Epilepsy is the only national charity with the sole purpose of supporting children and young people aged under 25 with epilepsy and associated conditions, as well as their families. The charity has been improving the lives of children and young people living with epilepsy and related neurological conditions for over 120 years with the aim of enabling them to fulfil their potential and ensure they have the best quality of life. Currently in the UK, there are around 112,000 young people with epilepsy of which 55,800 are school aged children (5-18 years)1.

About Veriton Pharma Ltd

Founded in 1997 by Dr Graham March MrPharmS, the company has pioneered the development and availability of innovative products and specialised medicines in the fields of epilepsy, neurology and rare paediatric conditions. For more information visit www.veritonpharma.com

Epistatus® 10 Mg (In 1 Ml) Oromucosal Solution Midazolam Available on Nhs Prescription Is Approved For Use By Both the Scottish Medicines Consortium (Smc) and the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (Awmsg)

Epistatus is licensed for use in the treatment of prolonged, acute convulsive seizures in children and adolescents aged 10 to less than 18 years, who have been diagnosed with epilepsy1.  Epistatus is presented “ready-to-use” in a novel, pre-filled, single-dose syringe, in a volume of 1 mL, to provide carers with the confidence that they are administering the correct dose1,2.

Epistatus has been developed specifically for buccal administration. The pre-filled syringe comes in a robust, tamper-resistant pack, which is UV-resistant to maximise shelf life1. It is portable and is carried by your patients at all times2.

The single-dose pack meets the principles of the Medicines Optimisation and NHS RightCare approach to help reduce wastage3 and is compliant with the Falsified Medicines Directive that will come into force in February 20194. The NHS price for a single 10mg in 1mL pre-filled syringe is £45.76.

Please visit www.epistatus.co.uk for further information about Epistatus 10mg oromucosal midazolam pre-filled syringe, or to find out more about a budget model to calculate the financial impact of prescribing multipack buccal midazolam versus single-pack Epistatus.

For media enquiries or if you would like a packshot of Epistatus please contact Helen Lawn & Associates.  Telephone 01892 525141 / 07879 818247 or helen@helenlawn.co.uk

References:

  1. Epistatus 10mg oromucosal solution.  Summary of Product Characteristics.
  2. Data on file – Excerpts from Epistatus Patent Application.
  3. Medicines Optimisation: Helping patients to make the most of medicines. Royal Pharmaceutical Society May 2013.
  4. Pharmaceutical waste reduction in the NHS. NHS England, June 2015.

EDM/1049/2018
Date of Preparation: April 2018

Epistatus® prescribing information can be found here.

New company name for Special Products Ltd

2nd October 2017:

Weybridge, UK: Today, Veriton Pharma Ltd is announced as the new company name for Special Products Ltd.

This name change has occurred both to incorporate the company’s past heritage with its future ambitions to make trusted medicines available for everyday living.

The Chief Commercial Officer commented: “With the launch of Epistatus® 10mg in 1mL Oromucosal Solution Midazolam (as maleate), on the 8th of September 2017, and our extensive range of existing unlicensed medicines, we would like to assure our customers and partners that the excellent service and quality they have come to expect from us as a company will continue and all contacts at the company will remain the same.”

With its legacy of technical expertise, which began in a world-renowned children’s hospital over 20 years ago, Veriton Pharma sources and supplies licensed medicines for CNS and over 75 high-quality, UK batch manufactured unlicensed medicines in the fields of epilepsy, neurology and rare paediatric conditions that licensed products cannot meet.

Headquartered in Weybridge, UK, Veriton Pharma, is a privately owned, speciality pharmaceutical company, which also has regional offices in the Middle East and Australia.

For media enquiries please contact Helen Lawn & Associates. Telephone 01892 525141 / 07879 818247 or contact@helenlawn.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

For further information about Veriton Pharma, visit www.veritonpharma.com

For comment and interviews, please contact Helen Lawn & Associates Ltd.

Epistatus® prescribing information can be found here.

EDM/1036/2017

Date of preparation August 2017.

 

Epistatus® 10 mg oromucosal solution midazolam – now available to prescribe

8th September 2017:

Special Products Ltd is pleased to announce that Epistatus® 10 mg Oromucosal Solution, Midazolam, is now available to prescribe.  The NHS price for a single 10mg in 1mL prefilled syringe is £45.76.

Epistatus® is licensed for use in the treatment of prolonged, acute convulsive seizures in children and adolescents aged 10 to less than 18 years, who have been diagnosed with epilepsy1. Buccal midazolam is recommended by NICE2 for the management of prolonged acute convulsive seizures, and is preferred by most patients and carers compared to the administration of rectal diazepam 3,4.

Epistatus is presented “ready-to-use” in a novel, pre-filled, single-dose syringe, to provide carers with the confidence that they are administering the correct dose1,5. The pre-filled syringe is contained within a specially-designed, secure and tamper-evident protective packaging.

Dr Rohit Shankar FRCPsych, Consultant in Adult Developmental Neuropsychiatry – CFT and Hon. Associate Clinical Professor – Exeter Medical School commented: “The importance of having an alternate licensed preparation for use in the treatment of prolonged, acute convulsive seizures, especially in a different mode of delivery is an asset to both clinicians and patients”.

In response to market research and insights, Special Products Ltd has invested heavily in the development of this new bespoke syringe, which is designed to allow simple administration of the dose into the buccal cavity5.

Community Pharmacists can obtain Epistatus® 10mg/1mL pre-filled syringes exclusively via Alliance Healthcare.

Hospitals can order Epistatus® 10mg/1mL pre-filled syringes directly from Veriton Pharma www.veritonpharma.com

For further information on Epistatus 10 mg oromucosal midazolam pre-filled syringes, please visit www.epistatus.co.uk

For media enquiries or if you would like a packshot of Epistatus please contact Helen Lawn & Associates.  Telephone 01892 525141 / 07879 818247 or helen@helenlawn.co.uk

References:

  1. Epistatus 10mg oromucosal solution.  Summary of Product Characteristics.
  2. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2012). The epilepsies: the diagnosis and management of epilepsies in adults and children in primary care. NICE clinical guideline CG 137.
  3. Nakken K and Lossius M. Buccal midazolam or rectal diazepam for treatment of residential adult patients with serial seizures or status epilepticus. Acta Neurol Scand: (2011); 124:99-103.
  4. Ashrafi MR et al. Efficacy and usability of buccal midazolam in controlling acute prolonged convulsive seizures in children. European Journal of Paediatric Neurology (2010); doi10.1016/j.ejpn.2010.05.009.
  5. Data on file – Excerpts from Epistatus Patent Application.

EDM/1037/2017

Date of preparation August 2017 

Epistatus® prescribing information can be found here.