The specialized drugs and user-friendly injection devices offered by the Endocrinology business unit can help improve the lives of patients with endocrine and metabolic disorders. Sales increased by 8.0% to € 342 million, based on growth in all regions. Our recombinant human growth hormone Saizen® is approved in around 80 countries for the treatment of a variety of diseases. According to estimates, the incidence of growth hormone deficiency in children is between 1 in 4,000 and 1 in 10,000. Non-childhood-related adult growth hormone deficiency can also be a significant problem which affects 3 in 10,000 each year.
Saizen® generated sales of € 225 million, which was 0.5% less than in the previous year. We nearly offset a decline in prices in several regions of the world (United States, Latin America, Europe) with good volume growth in almost all countries where the product is marketed. At € 105 million, sales in Europe were slightly lower (–1.6%) than in 2010.
Since 2007, around 30,000 patients have used our electronic injection device Easypod™ for the administration of Saizen®. In 2011, we introduced in select markets Easypod™ Connect software, a new approach to monitoring patients’ adherence to Saizen® injected using Easypod™.
Kuvan® (sapropterin) is the first drug approved in Europe for treatment of hyperphenylalaninemia (high levels of phenylalanine in the blood) in patients with the genetic metabolic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) or a deficiency of the key coenzyme tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). According to estimates, around 50,000 people are affected in Europe; 20% to 50% of PKU patients could benefit from treatment with Kuvan®. By launching Kuvan® in new markets and expanding the number of patients, we increased global sales of the product by 72% to € 34 million.
Since the registration of Egrifta® (tesamorelin for injection), a registered trademark of Theratechnologies Inc., in the United States at the end of 2010 as a therapy for reducing excess abdominal fat in HIV patients with lipodystrophy, we now offer two drugs for the treatment of HIV-related diseases. The other product Serostim® is used in the United States to treat patients suffering from HIV-associated wasting. Sales of our two drugs used in HIV totaled € 82 million (+17%).
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