Emmaus Life Sciences Inc (OTCQX:EMMA) revealed that the company’s CEO Dr Yutaka Niihara was feted at an event held on December 16, 2022, at the World Trade Center in Mumbai, India, by Indian Minister of State Arun Halder, in recognition of his work in developing Endari to treat sickle cell disease (SCD).
The event was hosted by Dr Aviti Govatikar, a medical doctor and former Mrs World.
More than 20 million people in India suffer from sickle cell disease, a genetic disorder affecting individuals of African descent and other ethnic groups. Underprivileged tribal communities in India are disproportionately affected by SCD because of a lack of treatments and resources.
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Endari is approved in the US and several Gulf Cooperation Council countries to reduce the acute complications of SCD in adult and pediatric patients five years of age and older. Endari is also available on an early-access basis in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and several European Union countries but is not yet available in India.
Dr Niihara, who is also the chairman of the board at Emmaus, said: "We are grateful and humbled by the recent acknowledgement by the Indian Ministry of State and look forward to discussions with national and local officials in the country to make Endari available to SCD patients there."
Meanwhile, George Sekulich, who is the senior vice president of global commercialization at Emmaus, noted that India represents “a large, unserved market.”
“We intend to look for possible approaches to reach SCD patients there," Sekulich added.
With sickle cell disease, an inherited group of disorders, red blood cells contort into a sickle shape. The cells die early, leaving a shortage of healthy red blood cells (sickle cell anemia), and can block blood flow causing pain (sickle cell crisis). Infections, pain, and fatigue are symptoms of sickle cell disease.
Torrance, California-based Emmaus Life Sciences is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, and sales of innovative treatments and therapies, including those in the rare and orphan disease categories.
Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com
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