Sosei and Nippon Organon co-promote SOT-375

17-Dec-2003
Sosei Co. Ltd., a leading Japanese biopharmaceutical company, and Nippon Organon K.K. announced that the companies have agreed to enter into a collaboration for the co-promotion of SOT-375, a product being developed by Sosei for the indication of prostate cancer. Sosei in-licensed Eligard(R), currently marketed in the United States by Sanofi-Synthelabo, from Atrix laboratories, Inc. in January 2003 and holds exclusive rights to develop and commercialise in Japan. Sosei has already started clinical trials of the product as SOT-375 in Japan to obtain marketing approval. SOT-375 is a new patient-friendly leuprolide acetate (LHRH agonist) formulation developed by Atrix using Atrix's Atrigel(R) delivery system. The product is a highly effective palliative treatment indicated for hormone- responsive prostate cancer. The Japanese market for LHRH agonist therapies is $600 million which is estimated to grow with the rapidly aging society. Eligard(R) one-month, three-month and four-month products have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of prostate cancer and are marketed in the United States by Sanofi-Synthelabo. These have also been licensed in the European, Oceanic and Canadian markets. Willem J. Kleijn, President of Nippon Organon said: "We are very pleased to announce this collaboration, an opportunity to reinforce our position in the field of urology, one of our key therapeutic areas. The synergy effects expected from marketing together with Avishot will surely strengthen our position." Shin-Ichi Tamura, President & CEO of Sosei commented: "It is my pleasure to collaborate for the co-promotion of our first product with Nippon Organon who have a big advantage in the marketing of urology products. This category represents one of Japan's largest therapeutic drug classes in oncology and I have great expectations of this partnership."

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