Eisai gets Chinese rights for Orion's Fareston and Eldepryl; FDA accepts Dacogen sNDA

Japanese drug major Eisai (TYO: 4523) has entered into a comprehensive marketing agreement with Finland's Orion Corp (Nasdaq OMX Helsinki: ORINY) relating to the latter's cancer drug Fareston (toremifene citrate) and its Parkinson's disease treatment Eldepryl (selegiline hydrochloride).

Under the terms of the deal, Eisai will acquire exclusive rights to market the two products in China, and will distribute them through its Chinese subsidiary Eisai China, based in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. Both drugs were previously marketed in China by a local distributor, however, marketing rights were transferred to Eisai China following the expiration of the contract between the distributor and Orion in early June 2011.

Fareston is indicated for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor positive or unknown tumors and is commonly used as an adjuvant therapy in postmenopausal breast cancer. Eldepryl is used in combination with levodopa-containing agents to treat Parkinson's disease in patients who have previously had an inadequate response to treatment with levodopa therapies alone.