Singapore, Mar 10, 2010: Teijin Pharma has launched TMX-67 (febuxostat), a novel drug for the treatment of hyperuricemia in patients with gout in Europe. Ipsen, a global biotechnology specialty care group and the TMX-67 licensee in Europe, and its sublicensee the Menarini Group, the first Italian pharmaceutical group in the world, have began marketing the product in Europe under the brand name ADENURIC, starting in France.

ADENURIC will be further launched by Menarini, which holds the marketing rights in 41 European countries, in the UK on March 11, Germany on March 15 and Ireland on March 29. Additional launches in other European countries are expected.

In July 2003, Teijin Pharma signed an exclusive license agreement with Ipsen for the development and marketing of TMX-67 in Europe. Following EMEA approval in April 2008, Ipsen signed in October 2009 an exclusive sublicense agreement with Menarini, which is Italy's largest pharmaceutical company and has the fourth-largest pharmaceutical team for delivering medical information to physicians.

Approval for TMX-67 was obtained by licensees, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America in the United States in February 2009 and SK Chemicals in Korea in June 2009.

Gout, a chronic disease marked by gouty arthritis associated with severe pain, is mainly treated with medication that inhibits xanthine oxidase, an enzyme directly related to the production of uric acid. The current leading medication, allopurinol, was developed nearly 40 years ago, so a new drug that provides more options for the treatment of gout and hyperuricemia has long been sought.