GlaxoSmithKline and Kaken Pharmaceutical
To co-promote Zyloric® Tablets 50/100(December 16, 2002)
GlaxoSmithKline K.K. (Head Office: Tokyo, President: Marc Dunoyer, hereinafter referred to as GSK)and Kaken Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Tokyo, President: Shiro Inui, hereinafter referred to as Kaken) have agreed to co-promote Zyloric® Tablets 50/100 (generic name: allopurinol tablet), the treatment for hyperuricaemia marketed by GSK. The co-promotion will start as of January 2003.
Under the agreement, GSK and Kaken will jointly provide medical information to medical institutions on Zyloric as of January 2003. Distribution and marketing activities will continue to be carried out by GSK.
Zyloric lowers abnormal uric acid levels in the blood by suppressing the activity of the xanthine oxidase, the enzyme that synthesises uric acid. It is used to treat hyperuricaemia and gout and is available in over 100 countries worldwide.
In Japan, Zyloric has been widely used in patients for 33 years since its approval in 1969 and is prescribed to about 1 million patients annually. Zyloric® Tablets 50 was launched in July 2002 enabling doctors to adjust the dosage according to the patients' symptoms and conditions.
Hyperuricaemia is a condition in which the uric acid level in the blood (serum uric acid level) persists to be abnormally high. When this condition continues for a long period of time, the uric acid that did not completely dissolve in the blood accumulates as crystals in the joints and kidneys, causing disorders. In particular, gout is a condition in which the crystals build up in the joints causing severe inflammation and pain. When the crystals build up in the kidneys, it causes kidney dysfunction and if left untreated, it will lead to kidney failure in which case hemodialysis becomes necessary.
Furthermore, not only does hyperuricaemia and gout cause severely painful joint inflammation and kidney dysfunction, it is recently being pointed out that they are also related to the onset of a heart attack and stroke. For this reason, proper diagnosis of hyperuricaemia and gout as well as their management and treatment are considered to be important. The control of the serum uric acid level at the asymptomatic stage is also regarded to be important as well. GSK's president Marc Dunoyer said, "Kaken is a company that is highly specialised in the orthopeadics area. The collaboration with Kaken will enable us to conduct medical information providing activities to more medical institutions. By promoting Zyloric's proper use, we hope that we will be able to further contribute to the QOL of patients."
Kaken's ongoing quest is to bring smiles and happiness to as many people as possible. For this purpose, the company strives to improve the quality of life of patients through the development and distribution of superior drugs.
GlaxoSmithKline - one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies - is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.
