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BioNumerik Announces Strategic
Alliance
With Asta Medica oncology
San Antonio, TX (February 20, 2001) – BioNumerik Pharmaceuticals,
Inc. has entered into a strategic alliance agreement with Asta Medica
Oncology for the development and commercialization of BioNumerik's
investigational new drug, BNP7787, in all territories outside the
United States, Canada and Japan. BNP7787 is a new chemoprotectant
that is initiating Phase 3 development in the United States for the
prevention of common and serious toxicities associated with paclitaxel
therapy in metastatic breast cancer.
Under the strategic alliance, Asta Medica Oncology and BioNumerik
will pursue the clinical development and registration of BNP7787 in
the European Union and major territories outside the U.S., Canada
and Japan. The two companies plan to coordinate their trials and registration
strategies with a global perspective. Asta Medica Oncology will have
exclusive marketing and sales rights to BNP7787 in those territories.
As part of the alliance, BioNumerik received an up-front payment from
Asta Medica and will receive a royalty on product sales in the agreement
territories. BioNumerik has retained the U.S. and Canadian rights
to BNP7787 for the development, manufacture, marketing and sales of
the product and has rights with respect to BNP7787 in Japan through
KI Pharma, the joint venture formed by BioNumerik and Grelan Pharmaceuticals.
"We believe that Asta Medica Oncology is an excellent strategic
partner for us to commercialize BNP7787 outside of the U.S. and Japan
with their proven track record of sales success, expertise in oncology
drug development and well established drug distribution channels.
This alliance fulfills our strategic goals to implement a coordinated
approach to the international development and commercialization of
BNP7787 in all major territories," said Dr. Frederick Hausheer,
Chairman and CEO of BioNumerik.
"The prevention of chemotherapy-associated nerve damage is an
important area for drug development since it is commonly observed
in cancer patients and there is no effective treatment that is currently
available. We are thrilled with the BioNumerik collaboration and believe
that BNP7787 fits ideally into our product portfolio and we look forward
to a long and productive partnership with BioNumerik," said Bernd
Aundrup, CEO of Asta Medica.
ASTA Medica AG, a 100% subsidiary of Degussa AG, has completed the
first phase of a broadly based restructuring process with the establishment
of three independent business units. The business units Oncology,
Prescription Medicines & Health Care Products and Branded Generic
Manufacturer Arzneimittelwerk Dresden include the appropriate infrastructure
required to operate competitively on the international markets as
independent companies.
Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, BioNumerik is a privately held,
emerging pharmaceutical company focusing on the development of oncology
drugs.
Contact:
Don Mundie
Delta Capital Management LLC
901-755-0949 |
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