Chugai licenses Japanese rights to Romark's HCV drug nitazoxanide

Romark Laboratories, a privately-held US biopharmaceutical company, and Japanese drugmaker Chugai, a unit of Swiss drug major Roche, have  entered into an exclusive license agreement for the development and  commercialization of the latter's drug candidate nitazoxanide as a  treatment of chronic hepatitis C in Japan. Under the terms of the deal,  Chugai has made an upfront payment to Romark, and will pay additional  amounts based on the achievement of certain clinical and regulatory  milestones. Romark will participate in profits from product sales in  Japan through a supply agreement and royalties. The agent is the first  of a new class of broad spectrum antivirals known as the thiazolides.