Aventis and ALTANA to Collaborate on New Asthma Product

05-Apr-2001

Aventis Pharmaceuticals, the U.S. pharmaceutical company of Aventis S.A. (NYSE: AVE), and Byk Gulden, the pharmaceutical group of ALTANA AG, today announced that they have signed an agreement pertaining to Byk Gulden's new inhaled corticosteroid, ciclesonide, for the treatment of asthma. Under the terms of the agreement, both companies will jointly develop and promote ciclesonide in the United States. No financial terms were disclosed.

"Despite recent medical advances, asthma remains a major respiratory disease. This agreement will enable us to continue to develop a new medication that may offer benefits to individuals with asthma," said Gerald P. Belle, president, Aventis Pharmaceuticals, North America. "Aventis has a long-standing commitment to the development of new respiratory therapies, and we are excited about the possibility of adding another asthma treatment to our top-selling allergy and asthma drug portfolio, which includes Allegra®, Nasacort® AQ and Azmacort®."

Aventis and Byk Gulden will work in collaboration to complete clinical study requirements for registration in the United States and abroad. As part of the overall agreement, Byk Gulden's U.S. affiliate, Altana, Inc., based in Long Island, N.Y., will co-promote the product with Aventis. Altana Inc. will establish a new division that will be based in north central New Jersey, and will initially comprise clinical development studies, regulatory affairs and sales and marketing.

"This is an important step to realize our strategic goal to expand our pharmaceutical business in the United States with a focus on innovative therapies," said Dr. Hans-Joachim Lohrisch, President & CEO of Byk Gulden and member of the ALTANA board of management.

Ciclesonide is a new generation inhaled corticosteroid that may provide advantages over existing therapies. Inhaled corticosteroids, considered to be the mainstay of asthma treatment, are anti-inflammatory medications that are used to prevent and reduce swelling inside the bronchial airways of the lungs. Ciclesonide has been widely studied in Europe in more than 40 clinical trials involving more than 4,000 asthma patients. Phase III trials are under way in the United States.

Asthma is a chronic disease characterized by the inflammation of the lungs' airways. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, it affects more than 100 million individuals worldwide, including an estimated 15 million Americans.

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