Business

Published: 24 Nov 2008 01:49:16 PST

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llergan, a multi-specialty healthcare company, and Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company, have signed an exclusive collaborative agreement for the development and commercialisation of apaziquone, an anti-neoplastic agent currently being investigated for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer by intravesical instillation.

Spectrum has retained exclusive rights to apaziquone in Asia, including Japan and China, while Allergan received its exclusive rights for the treatment of bladder cancer in the rest of the world, including the US, Canada and Europe. Moreover, Allergan will pay Spectrum royalties on all of its apaziquone sales outside the US. Spectrum will continue to conduct the apaziquone clinical trials pursuant to a joint development plan, with Allergan bearing the majority of these expenses.

Spectrum is currently conducting two Phase III clinical trials to explore apaziquone’s safety and efficacy as a potential treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer post-surgery. David Pyott, chairman of the board and CEO, Allergan, said, “Allergan looks forward to working with Spectrum in developing novel treatments for bladder cancer, and we believe apaziquone, if approved, has the potential to represent a meaningful advancement to urologists and patients in the current bladder cancer treatment paradigm.”