Daiichi Sankyo and Forest sign US promotion deal

Japanese drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Laboratories have signed a letter of intent to enter into a US co-promotion agreement of the combination antihypertensive Azor (amlodipine besylate and olmesartan medocomil). A New Drug Application for the agent, which was submitted by Daiichi in November 2006, is under review by the US Food and Drug Administration, with a decision expected in September this year.

Under the terms of the co-promotion deal, Forest will pay an upfront fee of $20.0 million in return for the right to market the drug in the USA and to receive payments based on net product sales. Daiichi Sankyo will be responsible for all promotion and sales costs. Further financial terms were not provided.

The agreement, which will run for six years, will see the companies collaborate on promoting the drug for an initial three-year period. For the remainder of the accord Forest will be provided with residual payments but will no longer be involved in product marketing.