Genzyme gets FDA approval for OA treatment

Shares of Genzyme were buoyed by the news that the FDA has approved Synvisc-One for osteoarthritis of the knee. The therapy is a single injection treatment that can provide relief for six months. It's an alternative for Synvisc, which requires three injections. Synvisc-One is approved in Europe and several other countries around the globe.

"Synvisc-One is an important therapy for OA of the knee because it delivers long-term pain relief through a single injection without the systemic side effects that can be caused by steroids and anti-inflammatory medication," said Ann Merrifield, president of Genzyme Biosurgery. "We expect that the approval of Synvisc-One will be a significant growth driver for the Synvisc franchise."

In another important development for the fast-growing Genzyme, the European Commission has approved the production of Myozyme at the 4000 liter bioreactor scale at its manufacturing facility in Geel, Belgium.

- see the Synvisc-One release
- and read Genzyme's Myozyme release

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