Validus buys Marplan from Oxford Pharma

The USA's Validus Pharmaceuticals has acquired Marplan (isocarboxazid) from Clifton, New Jersey-based Oxford Pharmaceuticals; financial details were not disclosed. The monoamine oxidase inhibitor is used for patients who suffer depression that has not responded to other antidepressants.

The agent, which was first introduced by Swiss drug major Roche in the early 1960s, has an established history of safety and efficacy. Validus says it will keep this important antidepressant available on the market for the thousands of patients and doctors who rely on its efficacy to control difficult-to-treat depression. The drug is used as an alternative treatment prior to electro-convulsive therapy.

Validus chief executive James Hunter said that Marplan's "widely recognized efficacy and safety provide the ideal platform for our entry into the psychiatric marketplace." The firm plans to begin promoting the tablets with a portfolio of customer care services for consumers and health professionals at the American Psychiatric Association meeting, to be held on May 19 in San Diego.