TLC Launches Abelcet In 1st Market, The UK

The Liposome Company has launched Abelcet (amphotericin B lipid complex) in the UK for the treatment of severe systemic fungal infections when conventional amphotericin or other antifungal agents are not successful. Abelcet becomes the first product of this type to be approved and launched as a first-line treatment, in this case for cryptococcal meningitis and systemic cryptococcosis in AIDS patients (Marketletter March 6).

Abelcet is the first product from TLC to win through to the market, and the company has priced it at a discount to the two other available liposomal amphotericin products, Vestar's AmBisome and Liposome Technology Inc/Zeneca's Amphocil. Abelcet treatment costs L258 ($431) a day, around half as much as its competitors and twice as much as Pfizer's Diflucan (fluconazole). To date, there have been no comparative trials of the three products to determine if there are any differences in efficacy in treating fungal infections.

The company is aiming to carry out further clinical trials comparing the efficacy of Abelcet and conventional amphotericin B in an attempt to secure first-line approvals for some of its other indications. To this end, a study supporting its first-line use in candidal infections has been completed and the data has been submitted to the UK Medicines Control Agency.