Shire And Sekisui Sign Joint Agreement

Shire Pharmaceuticals has signed an agreement with Sekisui Chemical of Japan to develop jointly a transdermal delivery system for a variety of medical applications.

A spokesperson for the company told the Marketletter that although the exact products could not be identified due to financial and patent restrictions, the applications will be in metabolic bone disease, specifically for the poorly addressed osteoporosis indication for men, and Alzheimer's disease.

Under the agreement, Shire gains world marketing and patent rights outside Japan. The UK company will make payments to Sekisui at fixed development milestones and for the transfer of patent rights and technical information.