Sosei Group Corporation, the biopharmaceutical company, announced that Sosei Co., Ltd., its wholly owned Japanese subsidiary, acquired development and commercialization rights to Loramyc (miconazole Lauriad) in Japan from BioAlliance Pharma.

Loramyc is an antifungal agent, administered as a muco-adhesive buccal tablet for the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis in immunocompromised patients. BioAlliance received its first Loramyc marketing authorization in France in October 2006. Loramyc has since been registered in 26 European countries, in South Korea, and in the United States.

Under the terms of the agreement, Sosei will pay BioAlliance an upfront license fee of $3 million and further development and sales-based milestones totalling up to a maximum of $18.5 million. Sosei will also pay royalties on net sales of the product.

By acquiring development and commercialization rights to Loramyc Sosei will broaden its development pipeline and continue with its strategy of bringing products that are in the late stage of development or already marketed in the West to Japan.

Shinichi Tamura, CEO of Sosei Group Corporation, commented: "We are very pleased to be teaming up with BioAlliance Pharma on this innovative product. Loramyc has the potential to become the first treatment in tablet form for oropharyngeal candidiasis in Japan, to provide an important addition to available treatments, and to enhance patients’ compliance and improve their quality of life.”

Fungal infections of the oral mucosa are most frequently caused by Candida species, with C. albicans being the most common species associated with such infections. Oropharyngeal candidiasis is commonly found in immuno-compromised patients, including HIV and cancer patients, and in other chronic disease states such as diabetes. For instance, oropharyngeal candidiasis is the most frequently occurring infection in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. The clinical presentation of oropharyngeal candidiasis is variable with symptoms including soreness, burning, and/or altered taste. The signs of clinical candidiasis usually include white pseudomembraneous plaques and patches (thrush), erythematous lesions or occasionally angular cheilitis. Left untreated, the condition may progress to involve the esophagus or to more serious systemic complications.

Sosei is an international biopharmaceutical company anchored in Japan with a global reach. It practises a reduced risk business model by acquiring compounds from, and bringing compounds into, Japan through exploitation of its unique position within global markets.

Dedicated to cancer and supportive care – cancer related pathologies, chemotherapy and radiotherapy-induced complications and opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients – BioAlliance conceives and develops innovative products, especially in the hospital setting and for orphan or rare diseases.