Serono/AstraZeneca deal on anastrozole

Switzerland-based Serono SA has signed an exclusive worldwide agreementwith AstraZeneca under which the biotechnology firm will have the rights to develop, register and market the aromatase inhibitor anastrozole in ovulation induction and improvement of follicular development. Financial details are not disclosed but, under the terms of the deal, AstraZeneca will manufacture and supply anastrozole to Serono and will likely receive an upfront license fee and royalty payments on future product sales, said an analyst at Swiss broker Sarasin.

Aromatase inhibitors have shown promise in early tests as potential new first-line agents for treating this condition. Serono, which is a global market leader in reproductive health, plans to conduct a comprehensive development program for anastrozole, with a Phase II clinical trial scheduled to start in the second half of this year.

Stevo Knezevic, Serono's senior executive, stated "we anticipate that anastrozole will be used at the earliest stage of [female infertility] treatment and believe it is a perfect complement to our world-leading portfolio of therapies."