Besides the nasal spray, ciclesonide is the active substance of an inhaled corticosteroid that is already approved in 35 countries worldwide for the treatment of persistent asthma.
In addition, the ciclesonide platform will also include a fixed combination product with a long-acting beta-agonist, currently in phase II of clinical development.
Intranasal corticosteroids are considered to be the gold standard for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, and they work by reducing inflammation, which is the major underlying cause of nasal symptoms.
“The submissions of ciclesonide nasal spray represent a major milestone for us, as they reinforce our commitment to providing innovative treatments for respiratory diseases,” said Dr Hans-Joachim Lohrisch, CEO of Altana Pharma.
Altana partners with Sanofi-Aventis in the US and with Teijin in Japan on various ciclesonide based products.