Ovation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, announced that it has acquired from Aventis in a cash transaction the exclusive North American rights for two central nervous system (CNS) pharmaceutical products, Sabril (vigabatrin) and Frisium (clobazam). Financial terms were not disclosed.

This acquisition is Ovation's fourth transaction with a major pharmaceutical company in the past 18 months. Previously, Ovation acquired five pharmaceutical products in two separate transactions with Abbott Laboratories and three pharmaceutical products from Sanofi-Synthelabo. The two drugs acquired in this transaction with Aventis support Ovation's mission of offering important pharmaceutical therapies for the CNS market and other specialty therapeutic markets.

Ovation will assume all responsibility for Sabril and Frisium in North America, including clinical development, regulatory approval, and commercialization. Both Sabril and Frisium are marketed in Canada and Mexico but are not yet approved for use in the United States. Sabril and Frisium are used in Canada and Mexico to treat various epilepsy conditions. Ovation intends to pursue FDA approval for both drugs in the United States.

Ovation Pharmaceuticals president Jeffrey S. Aronin said, "We are excited that Aventis chose Ovation to work with on this transaction. We are committed to dedicating the resources necessary to develop and commercialize these important epilepsy drugs. Our track record of successfully partnering with companies such as Aventis, Abbott, and Sanofi reflects our organization's ability to effectively work with big pharmaceutical companies seeking to divest or out-license products."