EATONTOWN, N.J., March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Roberts Pharmaceutical
Corporation (Nasdaq: RPCX) announced today that the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has approved AGRYLIN(TM) for U.S. marketing, and the
Company expects to begin shipping within 10 days.
    AGRYLIN (anagrelide HCI) is the first drug approved by the FDA for the
treatment of essential thrombocythemia, a life-threatening condition
characterized by elevated blood platelet counts.  This condition results in an
abnormally high incidence of adverse events associated with thrombosis (blood
clotting), including heart attack and stroke.  AGRYLIN is indicated for the
treatment of essential thrombocythemia to reduce elevated platelet counts and
the risk of thrombosis.  Associated symptoms are also improved.
    Until now, unapproved therapies have been employed to treat excessive
platelet counts, but they have distinct disadvantages that include: leukopenia
(reduction in white cells); anemia (reduction in red cells); and in some
therapies, suspected leukemogenesis (development of leukemia).  Because of
these potentially serious side effects, clinicians have been particularly
reluctant to treat young adults with unapproved therapies.
    In contrast, at therapeutic doses, AGRYLIN does not produce significant
changes in white or red cell counts and has not been shown to be leukemogenic.
The drug's labeling provides guidelines for treatment of asymptomatic young
adults with essential thrombocythemia.
    A total of 551 patients with essential thrombocythemia were treated with
AGRYLIN in three clinical trials.  The most frequently reported adverse
reactions to AGRYLIN were mild and self-limiting and included headache,
palpitations, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.  More than 2,300 patients in the
U.S. have been receiving the drug under a compassionate protocol.
    Roberts Pharmaceutical Corporation, with operating subsidiaries in the
U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom, focuses on new health care solutions
through the acquisition and development of specialty pharmaceuticals.  The
Company's first proprietary product, PROAMATINE(R) was recently launched in
the U.S. as the first drug indicated for treating orthostatic hypotension.
AGRYLIN has been granted priority review status by the Canadian regulatory
authorities and European filings are scheduled for later this year.
    Recent press releases and a letter from the Chairman of the Board of
Roberts Pharmaceutical Corporation are available through PR Newswire's Company
News On-Call fax service at 1-800-758-5804, extension 760975 and on the
Internet at http://www.prnewswire.com.
    This release may contain forward-looking statements which reflect
management's current views of future events and operations.  These forward-
looking statements are based on assumptions and external factors, including
assumptions relating to regulatory action and competing products.  Any changes
in such assumptions or external factors could produce significantly different
results.

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