Tokyo (Japan) - April 18, 2005 - UCB Japan Co., Ltd. (UCB Japan) and GlaxoSmithKline K.K. (GSK Japan) announced that GSK Japan will be the new codistributor for Zyrtec® tablet 5mg and Zyrtec® tablet 10mg on the Japanese market, as of July 1, 2005.
The products are manufactured by UCB Japan and distributed in Japan as one brand by two distribution partners, Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals being one of them. UCB Japan and Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals mutually agreed to terminate the Zyrtec® distribution agreement, effective June 30, 2005.
In order to ensure a smooth transfer process, GSK Japan and Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals will cooperate in providing information to medical institutions during the handover of business from now until the end of June 2005.
Fabrice Egros, President of UCB Japan commented: "We are pleased to have reached this new agreement with GSK, a company with solid and proven track record in Japan, especially for the therapeutic fields of respiratory, allergy, and dermatology. We are convinced that Zyrtec® tablet, one of our major products with a well-established presence as an allergy treatment will further expand its market presence with the cooperation of GSK Japan."
Marc Dunoyer, President of GSK Japan stated: "We are excited to have Zyrtec® tablets, a world-leading oral anti-allergic drug, added to our line-up of products. We believe that GSK Japan's position in the allergic diseases area will be enhanced through this partnership, enabling more people to 'Do more, feel better, live longer'."
UCB Japan and GSK Japan will also collaborate on further developments such as line extensions for this drug.
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