Optimer enters accord with C&O

The USA's Optimer Pharmaceuticals has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the exploration of potential business collaborations in the USA and China. Under this MOU, the companies intend to jointly explore possible areas of cooperation, including sharing information on preclinical and clinical studies, screening and synthesizing new compounds, transferring technology, and licensing product candidates.

"We are enthusiastic about the opportunity to collaborate with C&O and the future access they can provide Optimer to the China market," said company chief executive, Michael Chang. "Our collaborative discussions with C&O will focus initially on two of our carbohydrate-based product candidates, OPT-88 for the treatment of osteoarthritis, and OPT-822/821 for the treatment of breast cancer. Additionally, we intend to evaluate in-licensing opportunities from C&O's pipeline," he added.

C&O was listed on the Singapore Exchange in October 2005 and is an established and integrated pharmaceutical group in China. The firm has manufacturing facilities in Nanjing, and researches, manufactures and markets C&O-branded pharmaceutical products as well as distributes four imported drugs and about 5,000 local third-party pharmaceutical products across the whole of China.