aRigen licenses peptic ulcer drug to Taiho

Japanese drug developer aRigen Pharmaceuticals has licensed the local rights to ARH-1029, a novel drug candidate for peptic ulcer disease, to  Taiho Pharmaceutical.

As part of the agreement, aRigen will receive from Taiho an up front  payment, milestones and bonus payments depending on sales, as well as  "high double-digit royalties." Further financial details were not  disclosed.

ARH-1029 is a New Chemical Entity which was discovered in Japan and,  the companies say, is one of the first and biggest alliance agreements  between a Japanese biotechnology firm and a large Japanese drugmaker  for a pre-Investigational New Drug project. With the dual effects  including both the inhibition of gastric acid and specific eradication  of Helicobacter pylori - the root cause of the condition - the firms  believe ARH-1029 could offer curative as well as symptomatic  treatment.