3 February 2012 - Bayer HealthCare LLC, a unit of German Bayer AG (FRA:BAYN), said on Thursday that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agreed that the company can proceed with its expanded access programme to provide the investigational medicine radium-223 chloride to patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC)/hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) with symptomatic bone metastases.

The company added that the drug will be made available to patients through qualified clinical sites participating in this programme.

Expanded access refers to the use of an investigational drug, under certain circumstances, to treat patients with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical study.

In September 2009, Bayer inked a deal with Algeta (FRA:GJ9) for the development and commercialisation of radium-223 chloride. Under the agreement, Bayer will develop, seek global health authority approvals, and commercialise radium-223 chloride globally, while Algeta keeps an option for co-promotion and profit-sharing in the US.