Now Commercially Available, CHATEAL(R) Creates a Stir in the Market; Public Health Providers Benefit From Low Pricing, Stable Supply From Afaxys Pharmaceuticals

CHARLESTON, SC--(Marketwired - Apr 24, 2013) -  The recent commercial coverage of a new oral contraceptive heralds a possible shift in the market toward low-cost pharmaceuticals.

Afaxys Pharmaceuticals (www.afaxys.com/pharma) received FDA approval in December 2012 for its first AB rated monophasic oral contraceptive, CHATEAL® \shah•TEEL\ (Levonorgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol tablets USP, 0.15 mg/0.03mg). The reaction to CHATEAL in the family planning marketplace has been overwhelmingly positive.

CHATEAL® is indicated for the prevention of pregnancy in women who elect to use an oral contraceptive for contraception. This product does not protect against the transmission of HIV (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular disease. Women who use oral contraceptives should be strongly advised not to smoke. Please see full prescribing information at https://pharma.afaxys.com/afaxys/afcor_web_hcp_chateal.html.

Available only to the public health sector (including family planning clinics; college and university health centers; community health centers; and city, county, state, and federal facilities), and authorized, non-retail prescribers, this Afaxys Pharmaceuticals product is now covered under most, if not all, Medicaid and commercial managed-care formularies.

What makes Afaxys Pharmaceuticals unique is its market segment: the company focuses solely on public health and safety net family planning providers, who have long been buffeted by soaring prices and product shortages.

Company officials note that focusing on under-served customers -- and their at-risk patients -- is proving to make good business sense. "Afaxys' mission is to serve the public health sector with low priced, readily available, mission-critical products," said company CEO, Ronda Dean. "We were literally made for this customer, and our products are also made just for their patients."

Adds Dean: "By lowering the acquisition costs of our products, we ensure that our customers can serve more of their patients, many of whom have long been underserved by the health care system."

Afaxys Pharmaceuticals aims to continue to provide high-priority contraceptive products, like CHATEAL, at low costs to public health family planning providers. As additional contraceptive products become available the company will extend its core contraceptive formulary, allowing health centers to decrease high inventory costs by purchasing fewer products while still meeting their patients' needs.

Note: This press release was issued in the United States and is intended as reference information for U.S. journalists and customers. The information contained in this Afaxys press release is accurate at the time of issuance, and the company assumes no responsibility for updating the information to reflect subsequent developments.