EWING, N.J., April 25, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Antares Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATRS) today announced that the Company’s OTREXUP.COM website has been awarded a 2015 Bronze Horizon Interactive Award in the category of Consumer Information Websites. The Horizon Interactive Awards are among the most prestigious awards in the field of interactive and creative media. The annual international competition, now in its 14th season, recognizes, promotes and awards the best web sites, videos, online advertising, print media and mobile applications. In 2015 alone, Horizon received over 1,100 competition submissions from more than 40 countries. A volunteer panel of industry professionals review the entries to determine the recognition and shed a spotlight on the winners and the people who made it happen.
“Antares believes that providing educational and easy to understand content on disease condition and treatment options is essential for patients,” said Robert Apple, President and Chief Executive Officer. “The website was designed specifically for patients, physicians and caregivers each with distinct sections for easy navigation. Please visit www.Otrexup.com.”
This is the second award received in 2015 which recognizes the OTREXUP.COM website; the first was an honorable mention from the MarCom Awards. The MarCom competition is the largest of its kind in the world with about 6,000 entries per year.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
OTREXUP™ is a single-dose auto-injector containing a prescription medicine, methotrexate. Methotrexate is used to:
- treat certain adults with severe, active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and children with active polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pJIA), after treatment with other medicines including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS) have been used and did not work well.
- control the symptoms of severe, resistant, disabling psoriasis in adults when other types of treatment have been used and did not work well.
OTREXUP should not be used for the treatment of cancer.
OTREXUP should not be used for the treatment of children with psoriasis.
Methotrexate includes the following boxed warning:
OTREXUP can cause serious side effects that can lead to death, including:
- Organ system toxicity. People who use methotrexate for the treatment of cancer, psoriasis, or rheumatoid arthritis, have an increased risk of death from organ toxicity. Types of organ toxicity can include: gastrointestinal, bone marrow, liver, immune system, nerve, lung, kidneys and skin.
Your doctor will do blood tests and other types of tests before you take and while you are taking OTREXUP to check for signs and symptoms of organ toxicity. Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms of organ toxicity: vomiting, diarrhea, mouth sores, fever, confusion, weakness, temporary blindness, seizures, headache, back pain, neck stiffness, paralysis, irritability, sleepiness, and problems with coordination, dry cough, trouble breathing and severe skin rash.
- Women who are pregnant are at increased risk for death of the baby and birth defects. Women who are pregnant or who plan to become pregnant must not take OTREXUP. A pregnancy test should be performed before starting OTREXUP.
Contraception should be used by both females and males while taking OTREXUP. Pregnancy should be avoided if either partner is receiving OTREXUP:
- For a minimum of 3 months after treatment with OTREXUP for males.
- During and for at least 1 menstrual cycle after treatment with OTREXUP for females.
What are the possible side effects of OTREXUP?
OTREXUP may cause serious side effects, including:
See “What is the most important information I should know about OTREXUP?”
- Fertility problems. Methotrexate, the active ingredient in OTREXUP, may affect your ability to have a baby. Males may have a decreased sperm count, and females may have changes to their menstrual cycle. This can happen while taking OTREXUP and for a short period of time after you stop.
- Certain cancers. Some people who have taken methotrexate have had a certain type of cancer called Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and other tumors. Your doctor may tell you to stop taking OTREXUP if this happens.
- Tissue and bone problems. Taking Methotrexate while having radiation therapy may increase the risk of your tissue or bone not receiving enough blood. This may lead to death of the tissue or bone.
Common side effects of OTREXUP include: nausea, stomach pain, indigestion (dyspepsia), mouth sores, and rash.
Who should not take OTREXUP?
Do not take OTREXUP if you:
- Are pregnant or planning to become pregnant
- Have alcohol problems (alcoholism)
- Have liver problems
- Have problems fighting infection (immune deficiency syndrome)
- Have been told you have (or think you have) a blood disorder such as low levels of white blood cells, red blood cells (anemia), or platelets
- Have an allergy to methotrexate or any of the ingredients in OTREXUP
What should I tell my doctor before taking OTREXUP?
Before you take OTREXUP, tell your doctor if you have any other medical conditions. Tell your doctor about all of the medicines you take, including prescription, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
OTREXUP may affect how other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how OTREXUP works causing side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a list of medicines if you are not sure.
Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of OTREXUP. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Call you doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. For more information, go to www.OTREXUP.com or call 1-855-OTREXUP (1-855-687-3987).
About Antares Pharma
Antares Pharma focuses on self-administered parenteral pharmaceutical products. The Company’s product, OTREXUP™ (methotrexate) injection for subcutaneous use, is approved in the U.S. for the treatment of adults with severe active rheumatoid arthritis, children with active polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis and adults with severe recalcitrant psoriasis. Antares Pharma is also developing QuickShot® Testosterone for testosterone replacement therapy, and has recently received a therapeutically equivalent FDA approval for VIBEX® Sumatriptan USP for the acute treatment of migraines. The Company's technology platforms include VIBEX® disposable auto injectors, disposable multi-use pen injectors and reusable needle-free injectors. Antares Pharma has a multi-product deal with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. that includes VIBEX® epinephrine, exenatide multi-dose pen, and teriparatide multi-dose pen. Our reusable needle-free injector for use with human growth hormone (hGH) is sold worldwide by Ferring B.V. The Company is also working with AMAG Pharmaceuticals on a subcutaneous method of administering Makena, a progesterone product indicated for use in lowering the risk of pre-term birth.
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to differ materially from those described. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: continued growth of prescriptions and sales of OTREXUP™; the outcome of the pending patent litigation between Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. (Teva) and Eli Lilly and Company regarding the Teriparatide multi-dose pen; the timing and approval, if any, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Teva’s Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Teriparatide multi-dose pen and any future revenue resulting therefrom; Teva’s ability to adequately and timely respond to the Complete Response Letter received from the FDA for the VIBEX® epinephrine pen ANDA and approval by the FDA of the same, the timing and therapeutic equivalence rating thereof, and any revenue pre or post FDA approval; FDA action with respect to the ANDA filed for the exenatide pen; the timing of the launch of VIBEX® Sumatriptan Injection USP and the amount of revenue from the same, the timing and results of the phase 3 studies for QuickShot® Testosterone (QS T) and acceptance of the data by the FDA; the Company’s ability to successfully complete a New Drug Application for QS T and submit to the FDA and approval of the same by the FDA;; the timing and results of research projects, clinical trials, and product candidates in development; actions by the FDA or other regulatory agencies with the respect to the Company’s products or product candidates of its partners; continued growth in product, development, licensing and royalty revenue; the Company’s ability to obtain financial and other resources for its research, development, clinical, and commercial activities and other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, and involve predictions. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, achievements or prospects to be materially different from any future results, performance, achievements or prospects expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. In some cases you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as ''may'', ''will'', ''should'', ''would'', ''expect'', ''intend'', ''plan'', ''anticipate'', ''believe'', ''estimate'', ''predict'', ''potential'', ''seem'', ''seek'', ''future'', ''continue'', or ''appear'' or the negative of these terms or similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements is contained in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, and in the Company's other periodic reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. All forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company on the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release, except as required by law.