For Immediate Release

Kowa Company Ltd.
Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.

Kowa and Daiichi Sankyo to End Joint Marketing Partnership in Japan

Tokyo, Japan (April 5, 2013) – Kowa Company Ltd. (head office: Nagoya; President: Yoshihiro Miwa; hereafter, Kowa) and Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. (head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President: Joji Nakayama; hereafter, Daiichi Sankyo) announced today that the two companies would end their joint marketing partnership for sales of Livalo® (generic name: Pitavastatin calcium) tablets, a cholesterol-lowering agent, and Olmetec® (generic name: olmesartan medoxomil) tablets, an antihypertensive agent, as of June 30, 2013.

 

Livalo® tablets were developed by Kowa and have been marketed jointly by Daiichi Sankyo and Kowa in Japan since their launch in September 2003. Daiichi Sankyo developed Olmetec® tablets and has marketed the drug jointly with Kowa since its launch in May 2004. Kowa and Daiichi Sankyo have maintained a strategic partnership in the field of lifestyle-related diseases to promote these two drugs through communication activities supporting sales promotion. However, after a review of sales strategy and discussions between the two companies, Kowa and Daiichi Sankyo have agreed to end their sales partnership for the two drugs.

 

As a result of continued close cooperation between the two companies for a smooth transfer of operations, starting July 1, 2013, the promotion and marketing of Livalo® tablets will be conducted solely by Kowa, and the promotion and marketing of Olmetec® will be conducted solely by Daiichi Sankyo.  

 

For inquiries regarding this release
Kowa Company Ltd. Communications Department 2 Telephone: +81-3-3279-7392	Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. Corporate Communications Department Telephone: +81-3-6225-1126