Basilea's antifungal Cresemba® (isavuconazole) launched in France

Basilea Pharmaceutica AG / Basilea's antifungal Cresemba® (isavuconazole) launched in France . Processed and transmitted by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Basel, Switzerland, November 15, 2016 - Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. (SIX: BSLN) announces that it has launched its antifungal Cresemba^® (isavuconazole) in France and that it has sponsored a symposium on current challenges and recent opportunities in the treatment of invasive mold infections. The event was held on November 10, 2016 in Paris, France, and was co-chaired by Professor Élie Azoulay, Medical Intensive Care, Saint-Louis Teaching Hospital, Paris; Professor Jean-Pierre Gangneux, Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology, University Hospital Rennes, and Professor Olivier Lortholary, Department of Infectious Diseases, Necker - Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris.

David Veitch, Basilea's Chief Commercial Officer, commented: "We are excited to have launched Cresemba in France. The symposium provided an opportunity both for clinicians to discuss important clinical data and to share their experiences in the management of patients with potentially life-threatening invasive mold infections. Cresemba addresses an important medical need for these patients."

Isavuconazole was approved by the European Commission in October 2015 for the treatment of adults with invasive aspergillosis and the treatment of adults with mucormycosis for whom amphotericin B is inappropriate. Invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis are life-threatening fungal infections that often affect immunocompromised patients, such as patients with cancer and after transplantation. Invasive aspergillosis is often fatal. Mucormycosis (also known as zygomycosis) is a rapidly progressive invasive fungal infection, often affecting the nose and sinuses with high mortality.

Professor Raoul Herbrecht, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Hautepierre University Hospital Strasbourg, stated: "There is a significant medical need in invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis. They can cause severe morbidity and rapid deterioration in a patient's condition and may be associated with mortality rates approaching 100% if untreated or if effective treatment is delayed. Isavuconazole's safety and tolerability profile can be beneficial for highly vulnerable patients with invasive mold infections, as for instance patients with comorbidities or the need for long-term use, or high-risk patients receiving concomitant medications such as immunosuppressants."