Shionogi in deal with Concordia Pharmaceuticals for its pediatric products

Shionogi Inc. has entered into an agreement with Concordia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CPI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Concordia Healthcare Inc. Under the agreement CPI will acquire the rights to three Shionogi products, Kapvay™, Orapred ODT® and Orapred® OS, and will get an exclusive license the rights to another product, Ulesfia®. Shionogi will also provide transition services to CPI as part of this agreement.

Amgen and Astellas enter into a strategic Alliance for Japanese Market

There are two parts of the strategic alliance

1. The first element of the alliance is a long-term collaboration between the two companies that will focus on the co-development and co-commercialization in Japan of five Amgen pipeline medicines. (Table 1)

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory and Fresenius Kabi Japan enter into an exclusive distribution agreement of HES products, including the newly approved Voluven 6%

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory, Inc.  and Fresenius Kabi Japan (FKJ) have entered into an exclusive distribution agreement in Japan, of Voluven 6%, a new to be launched HES (Hydroxyethl Starch) product, (approved on March 25, 2013) and two other existing HES products, Salinhes Fluid Solution 6% and Hespander Fluid Solution. The two products on the market are currently sold by FKJ.

Astellas and Drais Partner To Develop Third Astellas Compound through Tacurion

Astellas Pharma Inc. and Drais Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that they have entered into a third partnership in the past year to develop and commercialize an Astellas compound. Under the terms of the agreement, Astellas will license ASP7035, of which a phase I study has been completed and is a phase IIa-ready, vasopressin V2 receptor selective agonist for the treatment of nocturia, to Tacurion Pharma, Inc. (“Tacurion”), a virtual company that will be operated by the Drais executive team. The partnership is similar to two prior Astellas and Drais agreements, to advance ASP3291 and ASP7147 through Telsar Pharma, Inc.  and Seldar Pharma, Inc.  respectively – both also virtual companies. As with Telsar and Seldar, Tacurion will be operated by Drais, which has substantial clinical development experience.

Takeda to Acquire Vaccine development company - Inviragen Inc

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited will acquire privately held  Inviragen which is focused into research and development of innovative vaccines for emerging infectious diseases, including dengue and hand, foot and mouth disease.

Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma and Nippon Shinyaku conclude a license agreement for SMP-986, a therapeutic agent for urology

Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. (DSP) and Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd. Announce they have concluded a license agreement for exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize SMP-986 in Japan, a new therapeutic agent for overactive bladder created by DSP.

Otsuka, Mitsui and Claris Life Science enter into a Joint Venture

Otsuka Holdings announced today that Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory, Inc,(OPF)  a subsidiary of Otsuka Holdings, will establish a joint venture in India with Mitsui & Co., Ltd. and Claris Lifesciences Limited.

Ownership of  the Joint Venture

Otsuka, Mitsui and Claris reached an agreement that Otsuka and Mitsui will jointly acquire capital in a company specialized IV solutions business that will be newly established by Claris, one of the leading manufacturers and distributors of IV solutions and generic pharmaceuticals in India.  . The tentative name of the new entity would be "Claris Otsuka"and the equity ownership for each company will be; Otsuka: 60%, Mitsui: 20%, and Claris: 20%.

Valuation and Business of the Joint Venture

Claris will contribute to the Joint Venture company its business of Common Solutions, Anti-Infectives, Plasma Volume Expanders and Parenteral nutrition therapies. Two out of the five plants will be transferred to Claris Otsuka. The Joint Venutre company will also introduce OPF's speciality products in India and Emerging markets. The business transferred contributes 55 percent of Claris current revenues.

The business transferred has been valued at 1313 crores and Claris will receive INR 1050 crores or INR 10.5b from Otsuka and Mitsui (approximately 16 billion JPY or USD 200million) for the 80 percent stake in the JV.

Kyorin transfers Assets related to its anti fungal cream Pekiron Cream (0.5%) to Galderma KK

Pekiron Cream (Amorolfine) an anti fungal agent was approved by MHLW in 1993. In 2002, Kyorin had given sales right to Galderma KK, (Japanese subsidiary of Galderma SA). The current agreement would transfer all Pekiron assets to Galderma SA. Pekiron is currently comarketd by Sata Seiyaku and it would continue to do so event post transfer of assets to Galderma. The transfer of assets will have no significnat impact on Kyorin financial results