It is a link to move within the page

Press Release


January 29, 2013

Japan Tobacco Inc.
Torii Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
JT and Torii Sign Licensing Agreement with ALK for Development and
Commercialization of Histamine Dihydrochloride Preparation in Japan
Tokyo, January 29, 2013 ---  Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) (TSE:2914) and Torii Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Torii) (TSE:4551) announced today that the Companies have signed a licensing agreement with ALK-Abelló A/S (ALK), under which JT and Torii will obtain exclusive rights to develop and commercialize ALK's histamine dihydrochloride preparation in Japan.  The histamine dihydrochloride preparation has been marketed in Europe under the name of Soluprick® Positive control by ALK.

The histamine dihydrochloride preparation is used as a positive control in skin-prick test to identify allergen that causes allergic reaction. In Japan, no positive control product for allergy skin-prick test has been approved as a medical product, while a negative control product is marketed by Torii.

A histamine dihydrochloride preparation is one of the medical products publicly offered for a development company by the Study Group on Unapproved and Off-label Drugs of High Medical Need, set up by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, to facilitate development of unapproved and off-label drugs which have been available outside Japan. JT and Torii will jointly develop the histamine dihydrochloride preparation in Japan.

JT and Torii will aim to make the histamine dyhidrochloride preparation available to patients and their healthcare providers as soon as possible in Japan.

Soluprick® is a registered trademark of ALK.


About ALK-Abelló A/S

ALK-Abelló A/S, established in 1923, is a global research-driven pharmaceutical company that focuses on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of allergies. ALK is the world leader in allergy vaccination (immunotherapy). The company has approx. 1,800 employees with subsidiaries, production facilities and distributors worldwide. The company is headquartered in Denmark and is listed on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen A/S (OMX: ALK B).
     

It is the end of the page