Gaucher drug boost for Shire
PHARMACEUTICALS firm Shire is today expected to announce it has been granted treatment protocol by the Food and Drug Administration for its yet-to-be-approved drug for Gaucher Disease.
The treatment protocol will allow Shire to make the product available to patients on a compassionate basis, before gaining commercial approval.
The new drug, Velaglucerase, has been pushed forward after fears of a shortfall in treatment following a production shutdown at a plant run by rival pharmaceutical firm Genzyme.
The market is worth $1.2bn (£716m).