Eisai licenses bexarotene to Minophagen forJapan; Roche opts for Invida for Korean marketing

Japanese drug major Eisai (TYO: 4532) has granted a license Minophagen Pharmaceutical, based in Tokyo, its bexarotene, a treatment for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Under the terms of the accord, Minophagen gains the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize bexarotene in Japan while Eisai will retain the option to co-promote the agent in Japan, if and when it is approved.

Eisai acquired bexarotene from USA-based Ligand Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: LGND) in October 2006 for around $205 million in a deal involving two other products. Ligand obtained orphan drug status for bexarotene in the USA in 1999 and subsequently went on to launch it under the brand name Targretin. The agent is now available in 26 countries in Europe, North America and South America for the treatment of patients with recurrent or refractory CTCL.

Targretin is defined as a standard of care for CTCL in leading treatment guidelines such as those issued by the European Organization for Research and Treatment for Cancer (EORTC). With the conclusion of this agreement, Eisai and Minophagen will work in tandem to expedite the delivery of the agent as a new treatment option in an effort to satisfy the unmet medical needs of CTCL patients in Japan.