Alitair Pharmaceuticals has entered a definitive agreement to license Erdosteine, a mucolytic compound with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, from Edmond Pharma for development as an orphan drug in the U.S. and Canada. Financial terms were not disclosed.
 
Alitair president and chief executive officer William Howard said, “We are delighted to have licensed Erdosteine from Edmond Pharma. Erdosteine is currently approved in 30 countries for the treatment of chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, or COPD, and it is approved in four countries to treat bronchiectasis. We will seek an orphan drug designation for Erdosteine to treat bronchiectasis in the United States, which affects approximately 130,000 people.” 
 
Roberto Teruzzi, chief executive officer of Edmond Pharma S.r.l. holding company, added, “We at Edmond Pharma are very excited to have licensed Erdosteine to Alitair. Erdosteine was discovered years ago in our R&D labs in Italy and is now successfully distributed in several markets. Erdosteine is a very safe and effective drug with a unique pharmacological profile. We are very confident that, thanks to the cooperation with our partner Alitair, Erdosteine will play an important role in treating bronchiectasis patients in the U.S.”