Lee's Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited announced in conjunction with Recordati S.p.A., a European pharmaceutical group, the execution of a license and supply agreement for Recordati's original product, Zanidip (lercanidipine), in China. The agreement grants Leespharm an exclusive license to market and sell, Zanidip (lercanidipine tablets) for the treatment of hypertension in the People's Republic of China.
"We are delighted to enter into this partnership with Leespharm for Zanidip. This represents a new step in our international partnering strategy," said Giovanni Recordati, president and CEO of Recordati. "Leespharm is a highly capable development and commercial organization in China, and we look forward to working with Leespharm toward the common goal of enriching the distribution network in Asia for Zanidip for the benefit of patients with hypertension."
"We are excited to announce this partnership with Recordati for Zanidip. In the light of increasing prevalence of hypertension among Chinese, the favourable efficacy and safety profile of lercanidipine could be a preferable choice for anti-hypertensive treatment across a broad range of patients," stated Dr. Benjamin Li, the chief executive officer of Leespharm.
"China reports more than 200 million patients suffering from hypertension, it is expected that there will be an acceleration of penetration of Zanidip in China market in the near future."
Zanidip (Lercanidipine) belongs to a group of medicines called Calcium Channel Blockers (CCBs) which is widely prescribed for the treatment of hypertension. Zanidip (lercanidipine) is a dihydropyridine (DHPs) with an intrinsic long-acting hypertensive effect which exhibits a slow onset of action to help avoid reflex tachycardia. It is effective in reducing blood pressure over a 24-hour period with once-daily dosing. Lercanidipine is effective across a wide range of patient groups, including the elderly as well as younger patients and diabetic patients with hypertension. It has equivalent anti-hypertensive efficacy to many other agents and is effective as initial monotherapy or in combination. The efficacy and tolerability profiles of lercanidipine make it a suitable choice for treating hypertension in a wide range of affected patients. Furthermore, lercanidipine causes less peripheral oedema than other CCBs at equivalent anti-hypertensive doses.
Lee's Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited is a public biopharmaceutical company with over 15 years operation in China's pharmaceutical industry. It is fully integrated with solid infrastructures in drug development, clinical development, regulatory, manufacturing, sales and marketing in China with global perspectives and currently markets six products.
Recordati, established in 1926, is a European pharmaceutical group, listed on the Italian Stock Exchange,with a total staff of over 2,950, dedicated to the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals. It has headquarters in Milan, Italy, operations in the main European countries, and a growing presence in the new markets of Central and Eastern Europe.