CAIRO, EGYPT: – Servier announced today, in collaboration with the International Society for Clinical Oncology (ISCO) and the Egyptian Foundation for Medical Sciences (EFMS), the launch of its treatment for pancreatic cancer in Egypt. Experts discussed the challenges facing pancreatic cancer management and liposomal irinotecan’s capacity to transform the treatment landscape by improving survival rates and the quality of life for patients fighting this disease.  The launch is part of Servier’s commitment to finding innovative solutions for hard-to-treat cancers.

Dr. Tamer El-Nahas, Professor of Clinical Oncology, Cairo University said, “Often referred to as the ‘emperor of all cancer maladies’, pancreatic cancer is a challenge facing the medical community. Drug discovery and development efforts in pancreatic cancer have yielded very few treatment options, and compared with many other cancers, the combined five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer -the percentage of all patients who are living five years after diagnosis – is very low at just 12.5%1.” According to the World Health Organization, pancreatic cancer is estimated to be the seventh most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, accounting for more than 466,003 deaths globally in 20202. It is anticipated to become the second leading cause of cancer-related death by 20303.

Dr. Ibtessam Saad Eldin, Professor of Clinical Oncology, Cairo University, said, “Pancreatic cancer is one of the most devastating cancers that claims the lives of far too many people far too soon. Almost 80% of pancreatic cancer patients are diagnosed at a locally advanced or metastatic stage4, at which point the tumor is no longer operable and remaining treatment options are limited and often accompanied by a high toxicity profile.” “This is why the launch of liposomal irinotecan is a major milestone in the fight against pancreatic cancer.  It has demonstrated significantly improved median overall survival, doubled median progression-free survival (mPFS), and helped preserve patients’ quality of life, a fundamental need at this stage of the illness5,” she added.

Liposomal Irinotecan was designated an orphan medicine – a medicine used to treat serious and rare diseases – in 2011 and was consequently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2015 followed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2016.

Dr. Amr Shafik, Professor of Clinical Oncology, Ain Shams University, said, “The introduction of liposomal irinotecan is set to transform the treatment landscape in Egypt, allowing more patients to receive and benefit from second- and third-line treatments, improving their overall survival.” “The complex nature of pancreatic cancer requires a unique molecule, expressly designed to overcome the pharmacological and clinical limitations of conventional irinotecan and enhance antitumor efficacy while reducing toxicity. Its success lies in the use of a new technique – liposome - to preferentially accumulate in pancreatic cancer cells and fight the cancer, allowing the drug to last more than three times conventional irinotecan at a fifth of its dose. It also has a manageable toxicity profile5,” he added.

Patrick Tete, Managing Director, Servier Egypt, said, “We are pleased to introduce liposomal irinotecan in Egypt, this marks an important step forward supporting our ambitions to become a leading player in this field. It also substantiates and broadens our oncology portfolio in Egypt, first launched in 2020 helping Egyptian patients fight colorectal and gastric cancers. Servier is committed to tackling unmet medical needs with a focus on hard-to-treat cancers. Worldwide, the Group dedicates 50% of its R&D budget to the development of cancer treatments.” Servier’s long-standing presence in Egypt spans almost 45 years. In 1994 the company inaugurated its state-of-the art manufacturing site in Cairo providing a broad portfolio of high-quality treatments across cardiovascular, venous disease, and diabetes therapy areas. In parallel, the company also ensures its leading global therapies across oncology, immuno-inflammation and neurology are accessible to Egyptian patients.

As part of its commitment to Egypt and the healthcare community, Servier has introduced a variety of patient awareness, support and affordability programs designed to widen patient access, as well as educational initiatives for healthcare practitioners.

1.    National Cancer Institute (NIH), Cancer Stat Facts: Pancreatic Cancer https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/pancreas.html (last accessed 22.06.2023) 2.    Globocan 2020 – Pancreatic Cancer: https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/cancers/13-Pancreas-fact-sheet.pdf (last accessed 22.06.2023)

3.    Adapted from Rahib L, et al. Cancer Res 2014;74:2913

4.    Lopez NE, et al. World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20:10740

5.    Wang-Gillam A, Hubner RA, Siveke JT, et al. Eur J Cancer. 2019;108:78-87

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About Servier

Founded to serve health, Servier is a global pharmaceutical group governed by a Foundation that aspires to have a meaningful social impact, both for patients and for a sustainable world. With its unique governance model, it can fully serve its vocation with a long-term vision: being committed to therapeutic progress to serve patient needs. The 21,400 employees of the Group are committed to this shared vocation, source of inspiration every day. As a world leader in cardiology, Servier's ambition is to become a renowned, focused and innovative player in oncology by targeting hard-to-treat cancers. That is why the Group allocates over 50% of its R&D budget to developing targeted and innovative therapies in oncology. Press Release Page 2 Neuroscience and immuno-inflammatory diseases are the future growth drivers. In these areas, Servier is focused on a limited number of diseases in which accurate patient profiling makes it possible to offer a targeted therapeutic response through precision medicine. To promote access to quality care for all at a lower cost, the Group also offers a range of quality generic drugs covering most pathologies, relying on strong brands in France, Eastern Europe, Brazil and Nigeria. In all these areas, the Group includes the patient voice at each stage of the life cycle of a medicine. Headquartered in France, Servier relies on a strong geographical footprint in over 150 countries and achieved a revenue of €4.9 billion in 2022.

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