Avanir licenses docosanol for cold sore treatment in Japan

By Lisa Kerner

Erie, Pa., Jan. 11 - Avanir Pharmaceuticals has signed an exclusive agreement with a pharmaceutical distributor to develop and market Avanir's cold sore treatment, docosanol 10% cream, in Japan.

Avanir will receive a license fee, development and sales milestones, and a royalty on all product gross.

"Under the terms of the agreement, our Japanese partner will be responsible for all expenses incurred obtaining marketing approval, as well as the manufacture, distribution and promotion of the product in the territory," said Marty Emanuele, Avanir vice president of business development and licensing, said in a company news release.

Docosanol is sold in North America under the brand name Abreva by Avanir's licensee, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. It is the only cold sore product approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration available without a prescription, according to the release.

The company previously announced positive results in the second of two required phase 3 clinical trials of Neurodex an investigational new drug for the treatment of pseudobulbar affect. The company also said it has initiated a phase 3 clinical trial for Neurodex as a potential treatment for diabetic neuropathic pain.

Avanir Pharmaceuticals, based in San Diego, commercializes novel therapeutic products for central nervous system and cardiovascular disorders, inflammation, and infectious diseases.

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