Novartis and Mochida to co-promote Diovan

Novartis Pharma KK, the Japanese subsidiary of Swiss drug major Novartis, and Mochida Pharmaceutical say they have signed a contract under which they will co-promote the anti-hypertensive Diovan (valsartan). The firms added that they will collaborate on marketing the product in Japan next month.

Novartis explained that the firms had established the agreement to further increase the drug's presence in the competitive angiotensin receptor blocker market, as well as to build on Mochida's strengths in the field of cardiac disease.

Naoyuki Mochida, president of Mochida, said that it was the company's aim to continue providing the country's estimated 40 million hypertensive patients and their physicians with information about both Diovan, and its calcium channel blocking agent Atelec (cilnidipine).