Ferring commits to US oncology and cutting-edge research

Switzerland’s Ferring Pharmaceuticals has signed a deal to take on commercialization of a novel gene therapy in development by Finnish firm FKD Therapies (FKD).

rAd-IFN/Syn3, which has promising Phase II data, is in late-stage development to treat certain bladder cancer patients who are unresponsive to the standard of care. Ferring has the option to buy the therapy once marketing approval is secured from the US regulator.

At the same, Ferring is establishing a new US oncology division, which Ferring chief medical officer Klaus Dugi described as necessary to "bring the right expertise on board" in the area of bladder cancer, and to facilitate “a dialog with regulators, to help bring the therapy to patients as soon as possible."