Merck & Co to sell Daiichi Sankyo's Lixiana in 13 European countries

US pharma giant Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) has been granted a license to market Daiichi Sankyo’s (TYO: 4568) Lixiana (edoxaban) in 13 European countries.

The designated territories are: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden. Daiichi Sankyo currently has no affiliated companies in these countries, so this agreement will contribute significantly to the growth of edoxaban in Europe, the Japanese drug major said.

The aforementioned 13 countries are subject to the marketing authorization of the oral, once-daily anti-coagulant edoxaban which was obtained from the European Commission last June. Sales will proceed as soon as MSD, the Merck & Co operating name outside the USA and Canada, completes launch preparations. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.