Press Releases
January 30, 2004
Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd.
Osaka, Japan, January 30, 2004 --- Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd. ("Takeda", 4502: Tokyo Stock Exchange) announced today that it has exercised the rights to enter into a license agreement with Alizyme plc ("Alizyme", AZM: London Stock Exchange) and its subsidiary on an inhibitor of gastrointestinal lipases, ATL-962, which Alizyme is developing as an agent to treat obesity and diabetes being designed to cause weight loss by reducing the digestion and thus the absorption of fat from the diet. Both parties had concluded an agreement in August 2003 that gave Takeda rights to evaluate the European phase II clinical data of ATL-962 and option for a license to ATL-962 for Japan.
With the exercise of its rights, Takeda has acquired an exclusive development and marketing right of ATL-962 in Japan. At the same time, Takeda has paid a milestone payment of US$ 3 million to Alizyme, in addition to the downpayment of US$2 million that was paid in August 2003 up on signature of the agreement mentioned above. The agreement stipulates future milestones payments depending on the progress of development, and also the royalty on the sales by Takeda in Japan once it is marketed.
"We are pleased to exercise the rights to the license agreement for ATL-962, for which the product profile and potential were recently demonstrated in the Phase IIb clinical trial." said Dr. Muneo Takatani, General Manager of Licensing Department of Takeda. "The diabetic field is one of Takedafs core therapeutic areas, and we expect this alliance with Alizyme will lead to a further strengthening of our diabetic franchise, giving opportunities to offer additional treatment options for diabetic patients and to improve their Quality of Life".
"We are delighted by Takedafs decision to exercise its rights regarding the development and commercialization of ATL-962 in Japanh, said Dr. Richard Palmer, Chief Executive Officer of Alizyme. gAs the leading company in metabolic disease, we believe Takeda is the ideal partner for Alizyme and ATL-962 in Japan and we look forward to working with them to progress this product opportunity in an area of increasing unmet medical need."
According to a surveillance conducted by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in 2001, in which a person with Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or more is defined as obese, the ratio of male obese people in any generation had increased approximately to 1.5 times during 20 years, and 30% of the generation of 30 ? 69 years old were obese. As to the female, the ratio of obesity is highest in the generation over 60 years old reaching around 30%.
In Japan, due to the westernization of the life-style, the obesity as risk factor for diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia, has been increasing and the necessity of treating obesity is now becoming well recognized.
About Takeda
Takeda is a research-based global company with its main focus on pharmaceuticals. As the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan and one of the industry's leaders worldwide, Takeda is committed to strive toward better health for individuals and progress in medicine by developing superior pharmaceutical products. Takeda is actively dedicated to enhance its pipeline for future growth through alliance as well as in-house R&D activities.
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