Dragon Receives EPO Product Registration and Signs Licensing Agreement for India

News

Dragon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OTCBB – DRUG.OB) is pleased to announce that the Drug Controller General of India has issued regulatory clearance for the import and sale of Dragon’s recombinant Erythropoietin (EPO) to India. Dragon has previously also received regulatory approval for sale of its EPO in China, Egypt, and Peru for use in anemia associated with chronic renal failure.

EPO is ranked by IMS Health as the world’s fastest growing drug by annual sales, with estimated worldwide sales of US$4.8 billion in 2000. India’s current market for the use of EPO in the treatment of patients with chronic renal failure alone is estimated at US$55 million.

Dragon is also pleased to announce that it has entered into a marketing and licensing agreement with Emcure Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. of Pune, India for the distribution of Dragon’s recombinant Erythropoietin (EPO) in India. The agreement provides Emcure, a leading Indian pharmaceutical manufacturer, with rights to distribute EPO in India and throughout the entire South Asian subcontinent, as well as in selected markets in sub-Saharan Africa where Emcure has an established presence and sales force.

Emcure Pharmaceuticals, established in 1983, is a privately held ISO-9002 certified pharmaceutical company with revenues of approximately US$76 million in 2000. Until 1995, Emcure was primarily a contract manufacturer for multinational pharmaceutical companies including Parke Davis, Warner Lambert, and Glaxo SmithKline. In addition to this contract manufacturing business unit, Emcure now also carries its own line of branded products based on its proprietary drug delivery systems. The company’s current operations include 5 major manufacturing arms, an R&D center focusing on new drug delivery systems, and an Information Technology (IT) business. Emcure fields over 900 sales representatives throughout India, with distribution centers in all major cities.

The Emcure agreement is an important addition to the international marketing agreements for EPO that Dragon has established with major regional pharmaceutical distributors during this fiscal year. Dragon’s EPO licensing agreements cover Asia, the Middle East, Central and South America, Central and Eastern Europe and Africa.