Amryt Pharma targets €1.3bn orphan disease market

Dublin-listed drug firm Amryt Pharma is planning to widen the scope of its late-stage wound-healing drug this year, to target the $1.5bn (€1.3bn) orphan disease market.

Earlier this year, Amryt gained European Commission approval for its Episalvan product to be used as a treatment for partial thickness wounds caused by a variety of things such as burns, skin grafts, and dermatological procedures. A market launch is understood to be imminent.

The company is keen to widen the scope of the product and plans to start a pivotal study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of Episalvan in treating the rare skin disorder epidermolysis bullosa (EB); a hereditary condition which can be debilitating for sufferers.