TAP licenses rights to Ilyang's ilaprazole

TAP Pharmaceutical Products, a joint venture between US drug major Abbott Laboratories and Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical, has signed a license agreement with South Korea's Ilyang Pharmaceutical for the development and distribution of ilaprazole, a gastric ulcer drug, which will enter Phase II studies next year. The agent is the latest example of TAP's focus on gastroenterological conditions.

The company has the worldwide rights to the agent, with the exception of South Korea and China. Last month, the firm announced that it is initiating Phase III studies for TAK-390MR, an investigational product for the treatment of acid-related disorders (Marketletter August 31).

"Based on the pharmacokinetic profile observed in Phase I clinical trials, ilaprazole may have the potential to bring additional benefits to patients who suffer from acid-related diseases," said Francois-Xavier Frapaise, vice president of R&D at the Illinois-based JV.