UCB licenses key drug patents from Sepracor

Sepracor of the USA has entered into a licensing agreement with UCBFarchim SA, an affiliate of UCB of Belgium, relating to levocetirizine, an improved single-isomer version of UCB's antihistamine Zyrtec (cetirizine). Zyrtec is Europe's leading antihistamine, with sales of approximately $250 million in 1998 and anticipated worldwide turnover approaching $1 billion in 1999. The single-isomer version has shown high efficacy at low doses in clinical trials.

Levocetirizine is currently in Phase III clinical trials in Europe, and UCB says that it intends to file a Marketing Authorization Application for the product in early 2000. The new deal with Sepracor relates to the licensing of complementary rights to levocetirizine, based on issued patents and pending patent applications for the drug in Europe and all other countries worldwide, except the USA and Japan.

While UCB will now make royalty payments to Sepracor based on sales of levocetirizine, the company has gained an added benefit in the projected patent life of the drug. UCB's patent protection on cetirizine expires between 2002 and 2009, but the addition of Sepracor's intellectual property will extend its market protection to 2013.