Horizon Pharma Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, has entered into an exclusive agreement with Grunenthal, a Germany-based independent, family-owned, international research-based pharmaceutical company for the commercialization of Duexis in Latin America.

Duexis, a proprietary single-tablet combination of the NSAID ibuprofen and the histamine H2-receptor antagonist famotidine, is indicated in the United States for the relief of signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis and to decrease the risk of developing upper gastrointestinal ulcers, which in the clinical trials was defined as a gastric and/or duodenal ulcer, in patients who are taking ibuprofen for those indications. The clinical trials primarily enrolled patients less than 65 years of age without a prior history of gastrointestinal ulcer. Controlled trials do not extend beyond six months.

“As this is our first out-license of Duexis outside the United States, we are especially pleased to partner in Latin America with Grunenthal, a worldwide leader in the promotion of pain products,” said Timothy P Walbert, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Horizon Pharma. “This agreement, in addition to our recent US co-promotion with Mallinckrodt, the pharmaceutical business of Covidien, is a continuation of our strategy to expand the availability of Duexis to patients worldwide.”

“We are excited about the addition of Duexis to our existing product portfolio in Latin America,” said Jose Maria Mora, acting executive vice president, Grunenthal Latin America.

Horizon Pharma, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that is developing and commercializing innovative medicines to target unmet therapeutic needs in arthritis, pain and inflammatory diseases.