Product Acquisition

15 Sep 2006 07:00

Alliance Pharma PLC15 September 2006 For immediate release 15 September 2006 ALLIANCE PHARMA PLC ("Alliance Pharma" or "the Company") Further expansion of dermatology portfolio Alliance Pharma plc (AIM: APH), a speciality pharmaceutical company, is pleasedto announce that it has acquired marketing rights in the UK and Ireland for thewoundcare treatment Permitabs(R), adding a further product to the Company'srapidly growing dermatology portfolio. Permitabs(R), which is used for the cleansing and deodorising of eczematouslesions and wounds, has annualised sales of £275,000. The product, whose saleshave been growing at more than 20 per cent a year, was acquired from Derma UKLtd for a one-off cash consideration of £800,000, financed through the Company'ssenior debt facility provided by the Bank of Scotland. Permitabs(R), which is included in the British National Formulary of recommendedproducts, is a tablet containing potassium permanganate and is made into asolution by nursing staff for the treatment of patients. The product will bemarketed by Alliance's specialist dermatology sales force, which has anincreasing number of prescription products to sell and cross sell todermatologists. John Dawson, Alliance Pharma's Chief Executive, commented: "This latestacquisition gives further depth to our dermatology franchise, which in arelatively short period of time has become a significant growth area for theCompany. We continue to seek and evaluate dermatology products to increasefurther the range of products marketed by our specialist dermatology salesforce." For further information: Alliance Pharma plc + 44 (0) 1249 466966John Dawson, Chief ExecutiveMaddy Scott, Finance Directorwww.alliancepharma.co.uk Buchanan Communications + 44 (0) 20 7466 5000Mark Court/Lisa Baderoon/Rebecca Dietrich Notes to editors About Alliance Pharma Alliance Pharma, founded in 1996, is an AIM listed speciality pharmaceuticalcompany based in Chippenham, Wiltshire, UK. The company has a strong trackrecord of acquiring the rights to established niche brands and owns, or shares,the rights to 34 branded pharmaceutical products and continues to exploreopportunities to expand the range. Alliance Pharma's products are prescribed in the treatment of a wide range ofconditions and include brands used in periodontitis (a serious gum disease), theprevention of heart disease, in Parkinson's disease, in nutrition, in nasalinfections, in the treatment of dermatological conditions and in childbirth.Alliance Pharma's sales are mainly prescription driven. Its products aredistributed to hospitals directly and to UK and International pharmaceuticalwholesalers which service both hospital and retail pharmacies with theirprescription requirements. Alliance Pharma is also developing Posidorm for sleep disorders and Isprelor forthe induction of labour. Alliance Pharma joined the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in December2003 and trades under the symbol APH. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange