BioMarin and La Jolla Pharmaceutical Sign Worldwide (Excluding Asia Pacific) Development and Commercialization Agreement f...( NOVATO Calif. and SAN DIEGO Jan. ...),Health

NOVATO, Calif. and SAN DIEGO, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (Nasdaq: BMRN) and La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company (Nasdaq: LJPC) announced today that they have entered into an agreement to develop and commercialize Riquent(R), La Jolla's investigational drug for lupus nephritis, in the United States, Europe and all other territories of the world, excluding the Asia Pacific region. Following a successful Phase 3 trial, the parties will share equally in all losses and profits. In the United States, BioMarin and La Jolla will jointly commercialize Riquent. In Europe and other territories outside of Asia, BioMarin will be responsible for all commercialization activities.

Jean-Jacques Bienaime, Chief Executive Officer of BioMarin commented, "We are very pleased to become La Jolla Pharmaceutical's partner for Riquent. The development history of Riquent has been long and challenging, but we feel the current study addresses the shortcomings of prior studies and provides the best possible opportunity to demonstrate that Riquent reduces the frequency of renal flares in lupus nephritis patients. The ASPEN Phase 3 study is the largest clinical study ever conducted in lupus nephritis and there is increasing evidence that Riquent targets one of the most important underlying causes of kidney disease in lupus patients, antibodies to double stranded DNA.

Mr. Bienaime continued, "This product opportunity also represents an exceptionally good strategic fit for BioMarin. Lupus nephritis is a serious and potentially fatal orphan disease treated by specialists, primarily nephrologists and rheumatologists, and there are no products specifically approved to treat lupus renal disease. Importantly, if the ASPEN stud
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