Pierre Fabre Launches Navelbine In The UK

Pierre Fabre has launched a UK affiliate company ahead of the planned UKmarket introduction on June 11 of Navelbine (vinorelbine), a chemotherapeutic for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and advanced breast cancer in anthracycline-resistant patients. Navelbine is Pierre Fabre's only prescription drug product on the market thus far, but the company also has a promising pipeline of products in the areas of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and depression.

Pierre Fabre is France's second-largest privately-owned pharmaceutical and dermo-cosmetic company, after Servier. Based in Castres, near Toulouse, Pierre Fabre is present in 120 countries and has over 6,700 employees.

Last year saw the company generate turnover of 5.7 billion French francs ($1.04 billion), compared to 5.3 billion francs, a rise of 7%, in 1995. Pharmaceutical sales accounted for 62% of the total, with dermo-cosmetics representing 34%, and a further 4% of sales from other activities, including a media and publishing sector. Last year, 1.8 billion francs came from the international market, with domestic sales of 3.9 billion francs. About 20% of the group's medical turnover is dedicated to research, says the company.