Napo enters finder's agreement for development of crofelemer in China

San Francisco, USA-based Napo Pharmaceuticals, which focuses on the development and commercialization of proprietary pharmaceuticals for the treatment of diarrheal diseases in the global marketplace in collaboration with local partners, has announced the signing of a finder's agreement with its licensee for crofelemer in China, Luye Pharma Group (formerly Asiapharm).

Luye will contribute its licensed rights to crofelemer in China (including Macao and Hong Kong) for the indications of chronic diarrhea in people living with HIV/AIDS, adult acute infectious diarrhea, and pediatric diarrhea, and Napo will seek a sub-licensee with resources and experience in the gastro-intestinal and/or pediatric markets to achieve development, regulatory approval, and distribution of crofelemer in China. Napo will have access to Chinese translations of regulatory and clinical data from previous research on crofelemer, encompassing studies of more than 2,000 patients, as well as all data generated in the future.

'We see a great opportunity for crofelemer in the rapidly expanding Chinese market, and in particular applaud the vision of Luye to seek expertise to most rapidly address the important pediatric need,' said Napo chief executive Lisa Conte. 'We are looking forward to the end of the Phase III trial for CRO-HIV in the United States, and believe the data from this trial and that of previously conducted CRO-ID trials provides a very attractive regulatory and clinical data package,' she added.