Anesiva Signs Co-Promotion and Distribution Agreement With Sagent Pharmaceuticals for Zingo(TM) in U.S....( Sagent to Accelerate Anesiva's Pen...)

Sagent to Accelerate Anesiva's Penetration of the Hospital Market with

Zingo

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. and SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Oct. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Anesiva, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANSV) and Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced an agreement in which Sagent will co-promote for three years Anesiva's Zingo(TM) (lidocaine hydrochloride monohydrate) powder intradermal injection product and will manage U.S. distribution. Zingo, a needle-free product that provides fast-acting topical, local analgesia, has been recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce the pain associated with venous access procedures, such as IV insertions or blood draws, in children three to 18 years of age.

Under the agreement, Sagent will join with Anesiva to co-promote Zingo within hospitals as well as facilitating contract negotiations with hospitals and group purchasing organizations. Sagent's team will focus their selling efforts toward hospital pharmacists, with Anesiva promoting primarily to physicians and nurses. In addition, Sagent will manage Zingo warehousing and distribution services. The terms of the agreement provide for Sagent to earn a royalty based on Anesiva's net sales of Zingo and for Anesiva to reimburse Sagent for certain direct expenses. Anesiva may designate additional marketing partners to address non-hospital affiliated markets.

"We are very excited to work with their extremely seasoned sales and national accounts team to support Zingo's penetration of the hospital market," said John P. McLaughlin, chief executive officer of Anesiva. "Together with Anesiva's experienced marketing organization and planned sales force of 15 representa
'/>"/>