SIFI SpA

The company's intellectual property ("IP") covers the formulation and method of use of polihexanide in the treatment of acanthamoeba keratitis and fungal keratitis The patent, already granted in Italy and EurAsian Countries, ensures IP protection until 2040 AKANTIOR® will be commercially available in Germany from Oct. 1st CATANIA, Italy, Sept. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SIFI, a leading international ophthalmic company, announced that is has received a Notice of Allowance from the European Patent Office ("EPO") for EP4216966. The newly granted patent, entitled "formulation based on polyhexamethylene biguanide for use in the treatment of acanthamoeba keratitis and/or fungal infections" ("Patent"), relates to the novel formulation of polihexanide in high concentration, its method of manufacturing and administration regimen in the treatment of acanthamoeba keratitis ("AK") and fungal keratitis ("FK"). The Patent was already granted in Italy in 2022 (IT102020000027155) and in Eurasian Countries earlier this year (EA047258). SIFI is seeking global IP protection through additional patent applications, including in USA, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, India, Australia, Japan and China. The Patent grant follows SIFI's findings in the Phase 3 clinical trial, where AKANTIOR® (polihexanide 0.08%) demonstrated an 86% clinical resolution rate in AK, with an average time-to-cure of approximately 4 months. The Patent also covers the novel dosing regimen of 16 drops/day for first 5 days, 8 drops/day for the following 7 days, 6 drops/day for the following 7 days and 4 drops/day until clinical resolution. The proven dosing regimen represents also a major improvement in patients' quality of life, as it allows during the initial and most intensive phase of the treatment daytime-only instillation of a single medicinal product compared to 24 hourly instillations of up to 3 off-label or unlicensed drugs used as best supportive care until now. Following the granting of a marketing authorisation for the treatment of AK by the European Commission in August, SIFI is launching AKANTIOR® in Germany, where the product will be commercially available from Oct. 1st. Additional European markets will follow based on local early access and reimbursement process timelines. "The granting of the European Patent further demonstrates the innovative profile of our asset for rare corneal infectious diseases, that are very severe and difficult to resolve." Fabrizio Chines, Chairman and CEO of SIFI. "The launch of Akantior® in Germany also marks a significant milestone in our corporate development, establishing a direct presence in Europe's largest pharmaceutical market." SIFI's polihexanide received two orphan drug designation ("ODD") from the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of AK and FK, and an additional ODD from the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of FK. ABOUT AKANTIOR®: AKANTIOR (polihexanide 0.08%) is the first approved drug for the treatment of AK in the world. It is an anti-amoebic polymer that acts on both the trophozoites and cysts of the protozoan acanthamoeba. It is formulated at a 0.8mg/ml (0.08%) concentration which makes it possible to administer as monotherapy eye drops in single-dose containers. ABOUT AK: AK is an ultra-rare, acute, severe parasitic corneal infection caused by acanthamoeba, a free-living amoeba, although incidence of AK has been rapidly growing in recent years. AK is an ocular emergency and requires urgent treatment to save the eye. It can lead to poor vision, potential blindness, or even eye loss and often requires single or multiple corneal transplants. It affects people of all ages, most of whom are young or middle-aged soft contact lens wearers. Patients report unbearable pain and extreme light sensitivity and can rarely work or lead normal lives until symptoms resolve. ABOUT SIFI: SIFI is a leading international ophthalmic company, headquartered in Italy, featuring an integrated business model, from research & development to manufacturing and commercialization both in pharmaceutical and biomedical sectors. Since our foundation in 1935, our mission is to improve people's lives through meaningful innovation in eye care. SIFI exports to more than 40 Countries worldwide with a direct presence in major European markets, Mexico and, through joint ventures, in China and the United Arab Emirates. More information available at WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

CATANIA, Italy, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SIFI, a leading international ophthalmic company, is pleased to announce that it will present two product innovations and new scientific data during the upcoming Congress of The European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) which will take place from September 6-10 in Barcelona (Spain). "SIFI is pioneering the integration of wavefront technology with ocular surface management technologies to advance the standard of care in refractive cataract surgery. By tailoring intraocular lens optics and ocular surface treatments, our solutions allow patients to achieve superior quality of vision," said Maria Cristina Curatolo, SIFI's Executive Director of Innovation and Medical Science. Two new products will be introduced: A new version of its EVOLUX extended monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) with an improved injection technology, allowing a smoother delivery and the freedom to choose between a push or screw technique; A new IOL calculator based on the Hoffer QST and Næser-Savini formulas, allowing a more precise calculation of spherical and cylindrical powers, also thanks to the use of artificial intelligence. A total of five podium presentation and five e-Posters will feature clinical outcomes on SIFI's solutions for cataract refractive surgery and ocular surface disease, such as EVOLUX, the presbyopia-correcting WELL FUSION system and the artificial tear Eyestil SYNFO. The schedule of scientific presentations is as follows: Presented Posters on Sunday September 8th (14:15-15:45 | Room: Hall 6 & 7 - Pod 1) Visual Performance, Subjective Satisfaction And Quality Of Life Effect Of A New Extended Monofocal Intraocular Lens (Iol) (Pagnacco C.); Multicentric Clinical Investigation On The Use Of Preservative- Free Ophthalmic Solution Based On Sodium Hyaluronate, Osmoprotectants, And Xanthan Gum In The Treatment Of Eye Discomfort, Particularly In Dry Eye (Molero-Senosiain M.); Visual and Refractive Outcomes after Implantation Of An Extended Monofocal Non-Diffractive Hydrophobic Intraocular Lens (Romualdi G.); Intermediate visual acuity comparison of two non-diffractive enhanced monofocal intraocular lenses (Rotter A.). Free Paper Session on Tuesday 10th (11:00-12:30 | Room: Free paper podium 1) Visual Performance, Subjective Satisfaction And Quality Of Life Effect After Bilateral Implantation Of Extended Depth Of Focus Intraoular Lens (Edof IOL) Compared To Trifocal IOL: A Randomized Clinical Trial (Pagnacco C.). On Monday September 9th (13.00-14.00 - Room 8.10) SIFI will hold a Satellite Symposium "Ultimate Vision: Mastering Sight with Wavefront Engineering and Innovative Ocular Surface Management" featuring clinical updates from Dr. G. Savini, Prof. O. Findl, Dr. K. Gabric, Prof. E. Pedrotti and Prof. R. Mencucci. The list of e-Posters includes: Functional outcomes of a new enhanced monofocal IOL (Savini G. – poster ID PO323) Long Term Visual Outcomes of an Extended Monofocal Intraocular Lens (EVOLUX® ) after Cataract Surgery (Caparas V. – poster ID PO347) Visual Performance Of A New Advanced Monofocal Iol - Sifi Evolux (Gabrić K. – poster ID PO330) Evaluation Of Binocular Vision And Subjective Photic Disturbances After The Implantation Of Intraocular Lenses Between The Sifi Well Fusion Edof System And Three Trifocal Iol (Physiol Finevision, Alcon Clareon Panoptix And Ast Asqelio Trifocal) (Castanera D. – poster ID PO574) Estimated Visual Acuity And Clinical Validation For Three IOLs Based On Wavefront Engineering Technology (Vacalebre M. – poster ID PO592) ABOUT SIFI: SIFI is a leading international ophthalmic company, headquartered in Italy, featuring an integrated business model, from research & development to manufacturing and commercialization both in pharmaceutical and biomedical sectors. Since our foundation in 1935, our mission is to improve people's lives through meaningful innovation in eye care. SIFI exports to more than 40 countries worldwide with a direct presence in major European markets, Mexico and, through joint ventures, in China and the United Arab Emirates. More information available at

An ultra-rare, sight-threatening corneal infection, acanthamoeba keratitis causes intense pain and photophobia. Credit: Jo Panuwat D/Shutterstock. Italian ophthalmic company SIFI has received European Commission (EC) approval for AKANTIOR (polihexanide) to treat acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), a rare and severe corneal infection. The asset is the first therapy approved for AK in Europe. AKANTIOR targets both adults and children aged 12 years and above. Its commercial launch is set to begin in Germany in the fourth quarter of 2024, with subsequent rollouts in France, Italy, Romania, Spain, Türkiye and the UK. The launches are contingent on each country’s regulatory and reimbursement processes. See Also: AstraZeneca may pull plug on UK vaccine manufacturing plans Touchlight to supply GMP dbDNA for UK Zika vaccine study SIFI has also partnered with Avanzanite to introduce AKANTIOR in other European markets. AKANTIOR (polihexanide 0.08%) is an anti-amoebic polymer effective against both the trophozoites and cysts stages of acanthamoeba. It can be used as a monotherapy in the form of single-dose eye drops. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted orphan drug designation for AKANTIOR. An ultra-rare, sight-threatening corneal infection, AK causes intense pain and photophobia. The infection primarily affects those who wear contact lenses and is caused by the acanthamoeba protozoan. SIFI chairman and CEO Fabrizio Chines stated: “The approval represents an important step towards delivering a new global standard of care for patients with AK and builds on 15 years of research and development. “For the first time in Europe, AK patients have an approved therapy, marking a new era in the treatment of this disease, which may lead to blindness. AKANTIOR is the first and only approved medicine for AK, and our team is committed to developing polihexanide in other corneal infectious diseases, such as fungal keratitis, where we obtained orphan drug designation from the European Medicines Agency and the FDA.”