Valeo Pharma Announces Commercial Launch of Enerzair® Breezhaler® and Atectura® Breezhaler®

• Product shipments have commenced across Canada
• National respiratory sales force recruitment well advanced, field deployment on-going
• Private and public reimbursement coverage progressing
• Nelly Komari, joins Valeo as Senior Vice President Scientific & Medical Affairs

MONTREAL, June 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Valeo Pharma Inc. (CSE: VPH) (OTCQB: VPHIF) (FSE: VP2) ("Valeo" or the "Company"), a Canadian pharmaceutical company, announced today that commercialization of Enerzair Breezhaler and Atectura Breezhaler has commenced following product shipments  across Canada and the initial deployment of its national respiratory sales force. 

"The commercial launch of Enerzair Breezhaler and Atectura Breezhaler is a key milestone for Valeo. It marks the debut of the Company's commercial efforts in the $700M Canadian asthma market, one of Canada's largest therapeutic segments", said Steve Saviuk, Chief Executive Officer. " I am especially proud of our Valeo team that organized this major product launch less than three months after licensing the products from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.. The commercialization of these two innovative asthma therapies follows the successful launch of Redesca^TM in April 2021 and will immediately impact our financial performance and accelerate in the fiscal quarters to come".

Commenting on the Enerzair Breezhaler and Atectura Breezhaler commercial launch, Frederic Fasano, President and Chief Operating Officer said; "We are very excited to start promoting and selling our first respiratory products. The establishment of our country wide respiratory, medical and commercial infrastructure is well under way and it is driven by a team of highly skilled and experienced pharma professionals. Nelly Komari, a seasoned pharma executive, has recently joined Valeo to lead the medical team in support of our asthma product launches. Enerzair Breezhaler and Atectura Breezhaler have demonstrated, against the current standard of care, that they improve the level of control of asthma symptoms and better prevent the related complications. Our team is very excited to start to reach out to clinicians to introduce both products and is proud to provide Canadian patients with these new treatment options".   

At present, almost 4 million Canadians are living with asthma¹, a serious health issue affecting all age groups. Patients with severe asthma live in fear of potential exacerbations which remain highly prevalent even with today's most advanced therapies. Asthma related exacerbations are concerning because of their associated mortality burden and also because of the increased risk of side effects from the use of systemic corticosteroids. Furthermore, there is growing evidence highlighting the lack of symptom control currently achieved in asthma. 39%² of patients remain uncontrolled, despite available dual LABA/ICS medications, primarily due to low adherence, treatment misuse and poor inhaler technique. There is an urgent need to add effective maintenance treatment options to  more efficiently address symptoms as well as asthma related long-term complications and mortality.

References:

1: Government of Canada. Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in Canada, 2018. Report from the Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System. Available from: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/asthma-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-canada-2018.html#a1.

2: Buhl R et al. Respiratory Medicine (2020)

3: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., ENERZAIR® BREEZHALER® Product Monograph, dated July 22, 2020

4: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., ATECTURA® BREEZHALER® Product Monograph, dated May 5, 2020

About Enerzair^® Breezhaler^®     

Enerzair^® Breezhaler^® is indicated as a maintenance treatment of asthma in adult patients not adequately controlled with a maintenance combination of a long-acting beta₂-agonist and a medium or high dose of an inhaled corticosteroid who experienced one or more asthma exacerbations in the previous 12 months³. This formulation combines the bronchodilation of indacaterol acetate (a LABA) and the glycopyrronium bromide (a LAMA) with mometasone furoate (an ICS) in a precise once-daily formulation, delivered via the dose-confirming Breezhaler^® device.

About Atectura^® Breezhaler^®    

Atectura^® Breezhaler^® is indicated as a once-daily maintenance treatment of asthma in adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older with reversible obstructive airways disease. Atectura^® Breezhaler^® should be prescribed for patients not adequately controlled on a long-term asthma control medication, such as ICS or whose disease severity clearly warrants treatment with both a LABA and an ICS⁴. Atectura^® Breezhaler^® combines the bronchodilation of indacaterol acetate (a LAMA) with the anti-inflammatory mometasone furoate (an ICS) in a precise once-daily formulation, delivered via the dose-confirming Breezhaler^® device.

About Valeo Pharma

Valeo Pharma is a Canadian pharmaceutical company dedicated to the commercialization of innovative prescription products in Canada with a focus on Respiratory Diseases, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Oncology and Hospital Specialty Products. Headquartered in Kirkland, Quebec Valeo Pharma has all the required capabilities and the full infrastructure to register and properly manage its growing product portfolio through all stages of commercialization. For more information, please visit www.valeopharma.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements about Valeo's objectives, strategies and businesses that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are "forward-looking" because they are based on our current expectations about the markets we operate in and on various estimates and assumptions. Actual events or results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements if known or unknown risks affect our business, or if our estimates or assumptions turn out to be inaccurate.

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

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SOURCE Valeo Pharma Inc.