Specialised Therapeutics to Relaunch GELCLAIR in Australia

 

Singapore and Melbourne, Australia, 4 April, 2017: Independent pharmaceutical company Specialised Therapeutics Asia (ST Asia) will today relaunch a product used to relieve the pain of oral mucositis, a condition that can affect cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.

GELCLAIR is a bio-adherent oral gel that works by creating a protective film in the mouth, providing durable relief for the painful mouth ulcers that characterise the condition, as well as improving a patient’s ability to eat, drink, swallow and speak.^1-3

ST Asia will market and distribute the product under license from partner, Helsinn Healthcare SASwitzerland.

Chief Executive Officer Mr Carlo Montagner said GELCLAIR was a welcome inclusion to the company’s expanding oncology and supportive care portfolio.

“This product has been available in Australia before, but has been in hiatus since 2015,” he said.

“We know there is continued demand for this important supportive care product and we are delighted to make GELCLAIR available once more to patients suffering from oral mucositis in Australia.”

Internationally regarded oral mucositis expert Professor Dorothy Keefe said the condition could be extremely debilitating, even leading to malnutrition in some cases, with 20 to 40% of patients receiving conventional chemotherapy affected, as well as up to 100% of patients receiving radiation therapy for head and neck cancer.⁴

“Pain in your mouth, or ulceration in your mouth, makes it hard to eat and to swallow,” Professor Keefe said.

“Both of these factors have an impact on quality of life and people can lose 5-10% of their body weight if they are badly affected. GELCLAIR provides a protective barrier that reduces the pain experienced by patients, which is an important part of oral mucositis management.”

Australian journalist and broadcaster Julie McCrossin suffered the debilitating effects of oral mucositis while undergoing treatment for oropharangeal cancer. She described the damage inside her mouth as “catastrophic”.

“I would highly recommend GELCLAIR as a soothing, nurturing mouth treatment that helped me both physically and psychologically in my recovery, when I was suffering the pain and discomfort of treatment for throat cancer,” she said.

“With GELCLAIR, I actually felt it was helping me to start the road to recovery because I felt better. When you are going through weeks and weeks of trauma to your soft tissue, that is worth a million bucks.”

GELCLAIR is available without prescription. Ordering information is available at  www.STAbiopharma.com/gelclair. GELCLAIR can be purchased online only at http://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au or http://www.epharmacy.com.au

 

About Specialised Therapeutics Asia

Specialised Therapeutics Asia Pte Ltd (ST Asia) is an international biopharmaceutical company established to provide pioneering healthcare solutions to patients throughout South East Asia, as well as in Australia and New Zealand. The company is a close affiliate of Specialised Therapeutics Australia (STA), which also collaborates with leading global pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies to bring novel, innovative and life changing healthcare solutions to patients affected by a range of diseases. ST Asia is committed to making new and novel therapies available to patients around the world, with a broad therapeutic portfolio spanning oncology, hematology, neurology, urology and ophthalmology. Additional information can be found at www.STAbiopharma.com

 

About Gelclair

Gelclair^® is a viscous oral gel for the management and relief of pain associated with oral lesions, particularly oral mucositis/stomatitis, which may be caused by chemotherapy or radiation therapy and irritation from oral surgery.¹ Gelclair^® forms a protective coating over the oral mucosa which shields exposed or sensitised nerve endings from over-stimulation and provides oral pain relief.^1-3 It does not irritate or sting and is non-numbing.¹

 

About the Helsinn Group

Helsinn is a privately owned pharmaceutical group with an extensive portfolio of marketed cancer care products and a broad development pipeline. Since 1976, Helsinn has been improving the everyday lives of patients, guided by core family values of respect, integrity and quality. The Group works across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and nutritional supplements and has expertise in research, development, manufacture and the commercialization of therapeutic and supportive care products for cancer, pain and inflammation and gastroenterology. In 2016, Helsinn created the Helsinn Investment Fund to support early-stage investment opportunities in areas of unmet patient need. The company is headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, with operating subsidiaries in Ireland and the US, a representative office in China as well as a product presence in about 90 countries globally. For more information, please visit www.helsinn.com.

 

References:

1. Gelclair^® Pack Insert. Prepared March 2016
2. Vokurka S et al. The effect of polyvinylpyrrolidone-sodium hyaluronate gel (Gelclair) on oral microbial colonization and pain control compared with other rinsing solutions in patients with oral mucositis after allogeneic stem cells transplantation. Med Sci Monit 2011; 17(10): CR572-CR576
3. Lindsay G et al. The clinical effectiveness of Gelclair in the management of oral mucositis. Aust Nurs J. 2009; 16(9): 30-33
4. Lalla RV et al. MASCC?ISOO Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Mucositis Secondary to Cancer Therapy. Cancer 2014; 120(10): 1453-1461

 

Media Inquiries:

ST Asia Communications Manager Emma Power +61 419 149 525