2 April 2003

Melbourne, Australia. 2 April 2003: Orphan Australia Pty Ltd had submitted an application for registration of Ferriprox® (deferiprone) to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia.

This application was approved on 2 April, 2003 for the treatment of iron-overload in patients with thalassaemia major who are unable to take desferrioxamine therapy; or, in whom desferrioxamine therapy has proven ineffective.

The next step in our programme is to submit an application for price reimbursement to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC).

Dr Rob Lindeman, Senior Staff Specialist Haematologist at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick NSW, said, “The availability of deferiprone in Australia represents a major step forward for our patients with thalassaemia major. Without chelation therapy, these patients almost inevitably succumb early to the complications of iron overload, which is an inevitable consequence of lifelong blood transfusions. While desferrioxamine has an excellent track record in allowing patients to avoid iron overload, some patients are unable to tolerate the drug. Deferiprone offers this group the possibility of effective iron chelation, and is also of use in patients in whom desferrioxamine fails to achieve negative iron balance, and is therefore ineffective.”

Ferriprox is licensed to Orphan Australia by Apotex Inc. Apotex and its affiliated companies is the largest Canadian-owned pharmaceutical Group with over 4,000 employees and an R& D commitment of over $1 billion for the next 10 years to develop both generic and innovative medicines.

Orphan Australia is a privately owned pharmaceutical company based in Melbourne, providing niche products to Australia and the local region. Orphan Australia specialises in the development, marketing and distribution of products typically used by specialists to treat serious and/or life threatening disorders.

Ferriprox® is a registered trademark of Apotex Inc., used under licence by Orphan Australia Pty Ltd.

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Dr Rob Lindeman
Senior Staff Specialists Haematologist
Prince of Wales Hospital
Randwick NSW
Telephone: (02) 9382 2222