VIENNA, June 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Croma-Pharma, a global player and challenger in the dynamically growing, minimally invasive aesthetics market, announces that it will launch Pliaglis^®, a topical local anaesthetic for superficial dermatological procedures, in its European core markets including Germany, the United Kingdom ("UK"), and Ireland. Further markets including Brazil will follow by the end of 2023. The anaesthetic cream complements Croma's range of aesthetic injectables, a key pillar of its comprehensive and innovative aesthetics portfolio.

The launch is preceded by an exclusive licensing agreement for Pliaglis^® with Canadian dermatology company Crescita Therapeutics Inc. ("Crescita"). The agreement grants Croma the exclusive rights to commercialize Pliaglis in nine countries including Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the UK and Netherlands and Brazil.

"Pliaglis perfectly complements our range of aesthetic injectables. It is a further essential building block in our focused and differentiated aesthetics portfolio and proof of our full dedication to medical aesthetics. The planned launch of Pliaglis in our European markets and in Brazil in 2023 will further accelerate our growth," commented Andreas Prinz, CEO. "We are thrilled about our partnership with Crescita, together bringing this therapeutic option to healthcare professionals in our core markets."

Specifically designed and licensed for anaesthetic needs in aesthetic medicine, Pliaglis^® is applied by the medical professional before a wide range of minimally invasive aesthetic procedures such as dermal filler or laser treatments, to provide effective and long-lasting local dermal anaesthesia to protect the patient and minimise pain.^**

*Pliaglis^® is indicated in adults to produce local dermal anaesthesia on intact skin prior to dermatological procedures.

**About Pliaglis^® Pliaglis is a topical local anaesthetic cream that provides safe and effective local dermal analgesia on intact skin prior to superficial dermatological procedures. The formulation contains a eutectic mixture of 7% lidocaine and 7% tetracaine that utilizes Crescita's proprietary phase-changing topical cream Peel technology. The Peel technology consists of a drug-containing cream which, once applied to a patient's skin, dries to form a pliable layer that releases drug into the skin. Pliaglis is applied to intact skin for 20 to 30 minutes prior to superficial dermatological procedures such as dermal filler injections, non-ablative laser facial resurfacing, or pulsed-dye laser therapy and 60 minutes prior to procedures such as laser-assisted tattoo removal. Following the application period, the pliable layer is easily removed from the skin allowing the procedure to be performed with minimal to no pain. In clinical studies, the mean duration of anesthesia has been shown to be in the range of 7 to 9 hours after the application of Pliaglis.

About Croma

Croma is a global player in the minimally invasive aesthetics market and a leading European manufacturer of premium quality hyaluronic acid syringes. The company offers a comprehensive and innovative aesthetics portfolio including botulinum toxin, fillers, lifting threads and biostimulators complemented by its own skincare brand. Founded in 1976 by a pharmacist couple, Croma-Pharma^® GmbH is a family company headquartered in Austria where it also operates its manufacturing plant. With 550 employees, 13 subsidiaries in Europe and Brazil, two joint ventures and 60 exclusive export partners, it distributes its products in 80 markets globally, including the US/Canada, China and Australia/New Zealand. It also operates as a contract manufacturer in orthopaedics and ophthalmology. For more information please visit croma.at.

About Crescita Therapeutics Inc.

Crescita (TSX: CTX) (OTC US: CRRTF) is a growth-oriented, innovation-driven Canadian commercial dermatology company with in-house R&D and manufacturing capabilities. The Company offers a portfolio of high-quality, science-based non-prescription skincare products and early to commercial stage prescription products. We also own multiple proprietary transdermal delivery platforms that support the development of patented formulations to facilitate the delivery of active ingredients into or through the skin. For more information visit, www.crescitatherapeutics.com.

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Media contact:
Uschi Mayer 
External Communications & PR
+43 676 84 68 68 966
uschi.mayer@croma.at