Upfront

Alembic licenses NDDS to UCB

Alembic announced that it has entered into a licensing agreement for its Novel Drug Delivery Platform for anti-epileptic drug Keppra XR (Levetiracetam Extended Release Tablets) with Brussels based UCB. The drug has sales close to billion Dollars a year and is all set to go off-patent by 2009. Phase III clinical trials on Keppra XR, the once daily formulation of Keppra are ongoing and results are expected in the fourth quarter of 2007. This NDDS is expected to extend the life of the patent by at least five to six years. Under the terms of the agreement, Alembic would receive milestone payments of $11 million and royalty on future worldwide net sales of Keppra XR subject to necessary legal and regulatory approvals. Alembic has few other NDDS systems in advanced stages of development and will be shortly available for commercialisation.

Zenotech sues Tata Memorial

Zenotech Laboratories, a Hyderabad based generic biopharmaceuticals company has sued Tata Memorial hospital over issues regarding the allotment of a tender. The tender was called for by the Department of Purchases, Tata Memorial Hospital for the supply of various medicinal items for a period of two years. Amongst which, Zenotech offered its quotation for 18 drugs. The company claims that it had offered lowest rates for four drugs—Paclitaxel 300 mg, Filgrastim 300 pfs, L-asperginase 5 K and L-asperginase 10 K. However, the company's quotations have been arbitrarily rejected without any reason.

The company alleges that Tata Memorial violated Article 14 of the statute. "The winner would have been the sole generic supplier for two years. The decision cannot be challenged but the process can be," says Jay Chirupati, Chief Executive Officer, Zenotech Laboratories.