HONG KONG, April 9, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eddingpharm ("Eddingpharm" or "the Company"), a leading specialty pharmaceutical company in China, is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into a collaboration agreement with GlaxoSmithKline China (GSK), whereby Eddingpharm will acquire from GSK the exclusive right in mainland China to import, market, promote, distribute and sell Tykerb, a treatment for advanced or metastatic breast cancer that was recently approved by the China State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA).
Tykerb (USAN: lapatinib ditosylate, trade name: lapatinib), GSK's innovative oncological product approved by the SFDA, is used, in combination with capecitabine, for the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer whose tumors overexpress HER2 and who have received prior therapy with an anthracycline, a taxane and trastuzumab.
Mr. Xin Ni, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Eddingpharm, said, "This cooperation with GSK on Tykerb is not only a milestone of Eddingpharm's business development history, but also an important milestone of China's pharmaceutical industry. This is the first time a Chinese pharmaceutical company will participate in the launch of a proprietary global oncology drug."
Mr. Xin Ni continued, "Eddingpharm is committed to bringing quality medical products into China, providing a growing range of treatment tools for physicians and offering better therapeutic options for patients. This partnership with GSK helps us fully leverage our rich market experience and mature marketing platforms to open a fast track for Tykerb's China launch."
Lapatinib is a small molecular reversible inhibitor of tyrosine kinase (TKI) with effective absorption upon oral administration. To date, Tykerb has been approved for the same indication in more than 100 countries.
Breast cancer has become the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Chinese women, with approximately 170,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
About Eddingpharm
Founded in 2001, Eddingpharm is a leading specialty pharmaceutical company in the fast growing China market, committed to actively introducing quality products into China's pharmaceutical market. Eddingpharm's main businesses include in-licensing, marketing and distributing hospital pharmaceutical products. The Company focuses on the development and promotion of pharmaceutical products in four therapeutic areas: medical nutrition, oncology, anti-infective and respiratory. Eddingpharm recently established its US affiliate and set up a product development team with R&D capabilities in Los Angeles, CA, to coordinate and communicate with leading global R&D institutions and explore opportunities for introducing innovative pharmaceutical products to China. For further information please visit www.eddingpharm.com.
About GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline, one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For further information please visit www.gsk.com.