Daiichi Sankyo and Forest sign Azor promotion agreement

Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Laboratories have announced the signing of a co-promotion agreement for Azor.

The compound is a fixed dose combination antihypertensive amlodipine besylate – a calcium channel blocker – and olmesartan medoxomil – an angiotensin receptor blocker.

Under the terms of the agreement, Forest will pay Daiichi Sankyo an initial fee of $20 million (10.1 million pounds), with both firms entering into a co-promotion understanding in the US, while Forest will receive an annual payment based on net sales of the product.

Azor is currently undergoing review by regulatory bodies following the filing of a new drug application for the compound with the US Food and Drug Administration in November 2006.

Joseph P Pieroni, president and chief executive officer of Daiichi Sankyo, said: “The signing of the Letter of Intent with Forest to co-promote Azor provides us with important additional resources to support this product as we continue to increase the size of our own sales force.”

He added that the agreement will facilitate the full exploitation of the potential of Azor, while noting that the companies’ previous “successful” agreement relating to Benicar (olmesartan medoxomil) and Benicar HCT (olmesartan medoxomil hydrochlorothiazide) will end soon.

In May 2007, Daiichi Sankyo announced the publication of the first study data from a phase III clincail trial of Azor as a treatment for hypertension, with the combination treatment resulting in greater mean reduction in blood pressure than administration solely with its constituent drugs.