New MAP for sickle cell treatment

A new Managed Access Program (MAP) for the treatment of sickle cell disease has been announced for Emmaus Life Sciences’ pharmaceutical grade L-glutamine treatment (PGLG).

Durbin, a medical supplier and distributor of pharmaceuticals, has been appointed by Emmaus to coordinate the supply of its PGLG treatment, through its specialist MAP, which enables patients with a physician-assessed clinical need to receive the treatment before it is commercially available.

Chairman of Emmaus, Yutaka Niihara, said the announcement follows a recognition that PGLG will be required on a Named Patient or Early Access Basis.

Hiihara said: “Initial feedback from haematologists and the sickle cell disease community indicated that there would be patients requesting PGLG on a Named Patient or Early Access basis. We needed to appoint a company that would be able to manage the warehousing and supply chain of our products, and meet the needs of the sickle cell disease community. We believe Durbin to be an excellent choice.”

Durbin has over 20 years’ experience in Named Patient and Early Access programmes, working with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to distribute products on a global scale.

 “Our collaboration with Durbin will strengthen our logistical setup and improve our ability to answer the needs of the sickle cell disease community for PGLG,” Niihara added.

 Leslie Morgan, Chief Executive Officer of Durbin, said: “PGLG will be used to treat a group of severely ill people, with limited treatment options. Durbin is thrilled to be working with Emmaus to support the sickle cell disease community, and provide better patient care in this area.

“A project of this scale requires a specialist global distributor with regulatory experience, and our previous work, along with patient focus, positions us well for our partnership with Emmaus,” Morgan added.