The agreement will both intensify and expand the already existing strong partnership of the two companies in sedation and pain management. Under previous agreements dating back over many years, Pfizer already has been the marketer for Orion Pharma's animal sedative product family, which includes the proprietary products Domosedan®, Domitor® and Antisedan® in the USA and most European markets. Under the new agreement, the marketing territory of Pfizer for these products is expanded with major additional markets such as China, Thailand, Middle East and Latin America.
Timo Lappalainen, Senior Vice President of Orion Pharma, suggests that the net sales of Orion Pharma Animal Health will increase at a faster rate than the estimated market growth. Orion Pharma has already been the marketing and sales partner for Pfizer Animal Health products in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, the license for these countries now being extended as part of this agreement.
The collaboration of Orion Pharma and Pfizer also encompasses the further development of the Domosedan and Domitor products, the former being used for the sedation of horses and other large animals, the latter being used for dogs and other companion animals. The initial work on these potential new products has been undertaken by Orion Pharma, but the companies will collaborate on the clinical development of the projects.
Animal Health accounted for ca. 11% of the total 2004 net sales of EUR 514.3 million of Orion Pharma, and they were up by 30% from the previous year.
Pfizer is the world's leading company in animal health products, with sales of USD 1.95 billion (EUR 1.56 billion) in 2004.
For further information, please contact:
Orion Corporation Orion Pharma
Timo Lappalainen, Deputy to the President, Senior Vice President, tel. +358 10 429 3692
e-mail: timo.lappalainen@orionpharma.com
Pfizer Animal Health
Robert Fauteux, Director, Communications and Public affairs, tel. + 1 212 573-3079
e-mail: robert.j.fauteux@pfizer.com
About Orion Pharma
Orion Pharma is a North European R&D-based pharmaceutical division of the Orion Group with special emphasis on developing innovative treatments for global markets. Orion Pharma's operational businesses comprise Proprietary Products, Specialty Products, Animal Health and Fermion (active pharmaceutical ingredients). Orion Pharma's R&D and product strategies focus on central nervous system disorders, cardiovascular diseases and intensive care, and hormonal and urological therapies. Partnerships and networking are increasingly important throughout the value chain, both in research and development and in reaching the global markets.
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Orion Corporation
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