Anika Reveals Commercial Launch Of CINGAL In Europe

Anika Therapeutics, Inc. ANIK revealed the commercial launch of CINGAL, its third-generation viscosupplement, in the European Union. According to the company, CINGAL, which would be initially available in Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, and Italy, got CE Mark approval in March 2016 to treat pain associated with osteoarthritis.

Anika Therapeutics said CINGAL would be marketed and sold in Europe by a network of experienced commercial partners under the terms of their respective commercialization agreements.

The company's President and CEO, Charles Sherwood, commented, "The launch of CINGAL in Europe marks an important milestone in our global expansion, which is a key part of our overall growth strategy. It strengthens our footprint in the European Union, and allows us access to additional international viscosupplementation markets. For the millions of Europeans living with osteoarthritis pain, CINGAL offers a safe, non-opioid, long-term pain management option that can help restore day-to-day function and preserve normal quality of life."

Anika said CINGAL was the first and only viscosupplement approved for use in the European Union that integrated triamcinolone hexacetonide, a well-established, FDA-approved steroid to treat inflammation, with sodium hyaluronate, the active "cushioning" ingredient in the Company's best-selling viscosupplements, ORTHOVISC and MONOVISC.

The company indicated that Viscosupplements were injected by a licensed medical professional into synovial joints to replenish the natural cushioning within joints that depletes with age and degenerative orthopedic diseases, causing pain. Aside from Europe, CINGAL would be available in Canada, and the Company continued to vigorously pursue regulatory approval of the product in the U.S.