Yamanouchi To Develop Searle's Celecoxib In Japan

Searle and Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical have signed an agreement whereby Yamanouchi will codevelop and comarket Searle's new oral anti-inflammatory agent, celecoxib, for the Japanese market. In return for these rights, Yamanouchi will pay a one-time licensing fee, make milestone payments, pay royalties and purchase compounds from Searle.

Celecoxib is leading the pack in a series of new anti-inflammatory agents which selectively inhibit the inducible cyclooxygenase associated with inflammation, COX-2, while having no effect on COX-1 the enzyme thought to result in the gastric side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The drug is currently in Phase II trials in the USA and Europe for the treatment of rheumatoid and osteoarthritis and for the control of pain. Phase I trials are underway in Japan.

Searle is a leader in anti-inflammatory drug development, with a pipeline which includes the NSAID Daypro (oxaprozin) Cytotec (misoprostol) for prevention of ulcer formation in NSAID patients, and Arthrotec, which combines misoprostol with the NSAID diclofenac in one tablet. Yamanouchi has a number of programs aimed at expanding its presence in the anti-inflammatory market, and already sells a topical form of indomethacin called Serastar.