D license for Flutiform

SkyePharma has agreed an exclusive license agreement with Kyorin Pharmaceutical for the development and distribution of asthma treatment Flutiform in Japan.

The agreement means SkyePharma has licensing deals in place in the three major pharmaceutical markets – the European Union, the United States and Japan.

Under the deal, development costs relating to gaining approval for the drug in the Japanese market will be largely met by Kyorin, as the company will be responsible for clinical trials of Flutiform and regulatory submissions to the authorities.

Development is expected to take “several years”, the companies said.

Kyorin already has a presence in the Japanese asthma market, which according to the firm is worth around $945 million (478 million pounds). Figures quoted from Datamonitor show the sector is grew by nine per cent annually between 2002 and 2006.

SkyePharma chief executive Frank Condella said Kyorin’s focus on respiratory therapy made it an “ideal partner” for the distribution of Flutiform.

He added that the results of phase III clinical trials of the drug in Europe and the US are set to be released in the “coming weeks and months”.

According to the World Health Organisation, there are an estimated 300 million asthma sufferers worldwide.