Roussel-Uclaf Details Group Pipeline Plans

In 1995, close to 1.8 billion French francs ($374 million) have been earmarked for research and development into human health by Roussel Uclaf, which corresponds to around 85% of the total R&D budget. In addition, the company is involved in the process of partitioning its R&D activities into discrete groups, which is ongoing throughout the Hoechst and Roussel group of companies.

Roussel will assume responsibility for anti-infectives and endocrinology and bone disorders R&D, while Hoechst will concentrate on cardiovascular, metabolic and rheumatology drugs and Hoechst Roussel Pharmaceuticals in the USA will pursue central nervous sytem R&D.

Anti-infectives The most advanced pipeline product in the anti-infectives area is levofloxacin (HR 355), an isomer of Daiichi's quinolone antibiotic Oflocet (ofloxacin). Daiichi launched levofloxacin under the trade name Cravit in Japan in 1994. The drug is in Phase III trials in Europe in patients with severe community-acquired respiratory infections, such as those caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. It has advantages over ofloxacin in tolerability, largely because it can be given in much lower doses.