The company is introducing abiraterone film-coated tablets for treating metastatic prostate cancer.

Stada is broadening its offering to patients, pharmacists and physicians in Europe by introducing abiraterone acetate 500mg film-coated tablets in 21 European countries.

Used for treating metastatic prostate cancer, abiraterone adds to Stada’s comprehensive oncology offering that spans oral and injectable medicines, including biological agents such as bevacizumab and epoetin zeta.

Upon the expiry of market protection for the abiraterone reference brand, Zytiga, abiraterone will launch in several European countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Nordic markets come. Stada’s generic version is authorised for the same indications as the reference product.

Used in combination with prednisone or prednisolone, abiraterone stops the body from producing the male hormone testosterone. Abiraterone does this by blocking an enzyme called CYP17, found in the testes and elsewhere in the body. Due to cancer needing a supply of testosterone to survive and grow, by reducing the production of testosterone, abiraterone may slow the growth of prostate cancer.

According to the European Commission and the European Cancer Information System, in 2020 more than 335,000 new cases of prostate cancer were recorded in the EU, with almost 70,000 deaths.

With around one in 11 men developing prostate cancer during their lifetime, the Commission and the ECIS estimate that, in EU-27 countries in 2020, prostate cancer accounted for 23.2% of all new cancer cases (excluding non-melanoma skin cancers) diagnosed in men and for 9.9% of all deaths due to cancer in men.

This made prostate cancer the most frequently occurring cancer in men and ranked third as a cause of cancer death in men – after lung and colorectal cancers.