Novartis and its drug development partner Idenix have filed for EU marketing approval for telbivudine as a therapy for hepatitis B. U.S. approval is already being sought and a new submission for Asian markets is expected in the coming weeks. "This MAA submission with the EMEA is another significant step in the development of telbivudine, a drug with the potential to improve the management of chronic hepatitis B, a disease with potentially fatal consequences that affects millions of people around the globe," said Jean-Pierre Sommadossi, chairman and CEO of Idenix. "The submission of the MAA in Europe and the NDA in the U.S. within a month of each other demonstrates the strength of our ongoing collaboration with Novartis."
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