The German-American biotech company MediGene AG has launched its prostate cancer drug, in Spain. With a potential for sales in this indication of € 100 million, Spain is one of the largest markets in Europe for drugs of this category.

According to the company release, over the next few months, this prescription drug for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer will be launched in a total of 25 countries. MediGene's partner, Astellas Pharma, has started pan-European commercialization of the drug, which is already very successful in Germany. Upon market launch in Spain, MediGene receives a milestone payment from Astellas. In addition, MediGene will receive royalties on the sales in all European countries.

"These additional launches of Eligard are an important prerequisite for the achievement our 2005 financial goal. We are very satisfied with Astellas Pharma as our marketing partner. The comprehensive and experienced distribution network will ensure that the drug is marketed as successfully throughout Europe as it has been the case in Germany," says Dr. Peter Heinrich, CEO of MediGene AG.

Astellas Pharma is the third largest pharmaceuticals company in Europe in the field of urology, and the market leader in the benign prostate hyperplasia segment. Yasuo Ishii, Chairman and CEO of Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd, comments: "The drug is already a great success on the German market. Now we want to spread this success over the whole of Europe."

MediGene acquired the license for pan-European commercialization of the drug from the US Company Atrix Laboratories, Inc. in April 2001, and successfully took the drug through the approval procedure for Germany and Switzerland.

The drug is an LH-RH agonist (LH-RH = luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone) which significantly and consistently reduces the testosterone level in the body, thus suppressing tumour growth in patients suffering from advanced, hormone-dependent prostate cancer.