Accord Healthcare Launch its Generic Thalidomide in the UK for Untreated Multiple Myeloma

Accord Healthcare today announced the UK launch of a generic thalidomide. Thalidomide, in combination with melphalan and prednisone, is indicated as first-line treatment of patients with untreated multiple myeloma, aged ≥ 65 years, or ineligible for high dose chemotherapy. Accord-UK has been granted Market Authorisation for thalidomide by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and will be prescribed according to the ‘Thalidomide Pregnancy Prevention Programme’. This approval represents another great milestone in Accord’s growing oncology portfolio.

Approximately 24,000 people are living with multiple myeloma in the UK.  It is a deadly cancer of the plasma cells for which typical survival is seven months without treatment and four to five years with treatment.

Thalidomide has both immunomodulatory (supports your immune system to fight illness) as well as anti-angiogenic (prevents the development of new blood vessels) properties, which can be effective in treating multiple myeloma.

Anup Sidhu, Speciality Brands Director, Accord said “Accord is committed to increasing access to high quality, cost effective medicines that have the potential to improve patient outcomes. We believe it is important to bring thalidomide to market. With this launch we hope to increase access and introduce price competitiveness to benefit both health systems and patients, while ensuring that this important medicine reaches patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma with a robust pregnancy prevention programme in place.”