Horizon Pharma Announces Completion of Sales Force Expansion

DEERFIELD, Ill., Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Horizon Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: HZNP) announced today that it has completed the expansion of its sales force from 80 to 150 representatives.  This expansion will allow increased reach and frequency of calls on physician targets for its lead product DUEXIS^® (ibuprofen and famotidine), which is indicated for the relief of signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis and to decrease the risk of developing upper gastrointestinal ulcers.  In addition, the Company will leverage its expanded sales force to launch its recently approved product, RAYOS (prednisone) delayed-release tablets, which will be available to physicians this quarter.

In June, Horizon entered an agreement granting Mallinckrodt, the Pharmaceuticals business of Covidien, the right to co-promote DUEXIS in the United States through December 31, 2014, which also added an undisclosed number of sales representatives.

"Our sales force expansion, in addition to the Mallinckrodt sales representatives who began promoting DUEXIS in late August, will allow us to broaden our reach for DUEXIS five-fold from 10,000 physicians who write 8 percent of NSAID prescriptions to 50,000 physicians who write more than 50 percent of NSAID prescriptions," said Timothy P. Walbert, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Horizon Pharma.  "Early prescription growth as a result of this increased promotion beginning in late August has shown a positive initial trend with total August DUEXIS prescriptions growing 16 percent.  With our recent $81 million public offering and our combined promotional effort in full force, we believe DUEXIS is well-positioned for future growth.

Recent DUEXIS Performance Update

Horizon Pharma reported during its second quarter earnings call that according to monthly data from Source Healthcare Analytics (SHA), formerly Wolters Kluwer, total DUEXIS prescriptions for the second quarter of 2012 were 18,805, an increase of 81% over prescriptions for the first quarter of 2012.  In addition, gross sales of DUEXIS in the second quarter of 2012 increased 91% compared to the first quarter of 2012.  Also, according to SHA, new DUEXIS monthly prescriptions for the month of August were 6,770, an increase of 18% over July 2012 and total prescriptions for the month of August were 8,471, an increase of 16% versus July 2012.

About DUEXIS
DUEXIS, a proprietary single-tablet combination of the NSAID ibuprofen and the histamine H2-receptor antagonist famotidine, is indicated for the relief of signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis and to decrease the risk of developing upper gastrointestinal ulcers, which in the clinical trials was defined as a gastric and/or duodenal ulcer, in patients who are taking ibuprofen for those indications. The clinical trials primarily enrolled patients less than 65 years of age without a prior history of gastrointestinal ulcer. Controlled trials do not extend beyond 6 months.  For more information, please visit www.DUEXIS.com.

Important Safety Information About DUEXIS

DUEXIS is not right for everyone. People who have had asthma, hives, or an allergic reaction to aspirin or other NSAIDs should not take DUEXIS. Women in the late stages of pregnancy should not take DUEXIS. People who have had allergic reactions to medications like famotidine (histamine H2‐receptor antagonists) should not take DUEXIS.

Tell your health care provider right away if you have signs of active bleeding (persistent and unexplained) while you are taking DUEXIS.

NSAID‐containing medications like DUEXIS can cause high blood pressure or make existing high blood pressure worse, either of which can increase the chance of a heart attack or stroke. Your health care provider should check your blood pressure while you are taking DUEXIS.

Before you start taking DUEXIS, tell your health care provider if you have heart problems, kidney problems, or liver problems, or if you are taking medications for high blood pressure. DUEXIS can increase the chance of potentially significant liver injury and/or kidney injury, which may be fatal. Stop taking DUEXIS immediately and contact your health care provider if you experience any signs and/or symptoms of liver or kidney injury.

Serious allergic reactions, including skin reactions, can happen without warning and can be life threatening. Stop taking DUEXIS and consult your doctor immediately if you get a skin rash or if you start to have problems breathing or swallowing, or if you develop swelling of your face or throat.

The most common side effects of DUEXIS include nausea, diarrhea, constipation, upper abdominal pain, and headache.

Please see Medication Guide and full Prescribing Information.

About Horizon Pharma

Horizon Pharma, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that is developing and commercializing innovative medicines to target unmet therapeutic needs in arthritis, pain and inflammatory diseases. For more information, please visit www.horizonpharma.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the potential benefits of Horizon's expanded sales force, together with sales representatives under the co-promotion agreement with Mallinckrodt, including the potential for extending the promotional reach of DUEXIS to target physicians and increasing DUEXIS prescriptions and revenues from DUEXIS sales.  These forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release, and actual results may differ materially from those in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. These factors include the ability of Horizon's sales force to successfully promote and commercialize DUEXIS, the parties' ability to successfully collaborate with one another under the co-promotion agreement regarding sales and marketing plans and strategy, the performance of Mallinckrodt sales representatives under the co-promotion agreement, the parties' ability to terminate the co-promotion agreement, existing competition for DUEXIS in the U.S., the extent to which healthcare professionals will prescribe DUEXIS and the extent to which such prescriptions result in actual sales and other factors described in Horizon's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including those factors discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in those filings.  Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and Horizon undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, except as may be required by law.

Contacts

Todd N. Smith
Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Office
[email protected]

Media
Geoff Curtis
DJE Science
312-550-813
[email protected]

Investors
Kathy Galante
Burns McClellan, Inc.
212-213-000
[email protected]

SOURCE Horizon Pharma, Inc.