Seikagaku and Kaken Conclude a Basic Distributorship Agreement for SI-6603, Indicated for Treatment of Lumbar Disc Herniation

May 10, 2012 Seikagaku Corporation (Securities Code: 4548) Kaken Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Securities Code: 4521) Seikagaku and Kaken Conclude a Basic Distributorship Agreement for SI-6603, Indicated for Treatment of Lumbar Disc Herniation Seikagaku Corporation (Tokyo) and Kaken Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Tokyo) hereby announce that today they have concluded a basic agreement concerning exclusive marketing rights in Japan for SI-6603 (generic name: condoliase), indicated for treatment of lumbar disc herniation. The companies plan to execute a final agreement at the end of 2012. Seikagaku is conducting clinical development of SI-6603 in Japan and the U.S. In Japan, the development is in a stage of the Phase III clinical trial. Seikagaku aims to promptly conduct this trial so as to obtain approval in the shortest possible time. Characteristics of SI-6603 Lumbar disc herniation is the partial protrusion of the nucleus pulposus at the core of each intervertebral disc or the anulus fibrosus, the disc’s outer layer. The resulting pressure on spinal nerve root causes leg pain, back pain and discomfort. SI-6603 is an enzyme named condoliase that specifically degrades glycosaminoglycans, which are the main components of the nucleus pulposus. The injection of SI-6603 into the intervertebral disc would cause reduction of the pressure on the nerves, resulting in relief from pain. Because SI-6603 does not break down proteins, it is thought to have no effect on surrounding tissues, such as blood vessels and nerves. Furthermore, a single injection treatment with SI-6603 is expected to be as effective as lumbar disc surgery in alleviating symptoms, which means that patients would also be possible to reap benefits in the form of the patient’s physical load and reduced medical costs, including surgical and hospitalization costs. #######

The release as fetched from its publisher. seikagaku.co.jp ↗