The Basque pharmaceutical company Faes Farma and Jazz Pharmaceuticals have agreed to terminate the license agreement for Flufenoxina, an antidepressant drug, signed in 2007, so that Faes Farma can develop the project of the molecule Flufenoxina in the new indication for Alzheimer's.

Advances in Faes Farma research on the nervous system have revealed that Flufenoxina analogues have marked activity in the in vitro test for Alzheimer's. This recent finding and the termination of the licence agreement allow Faes Farma to recover the intellectual property rights over the molecule and go ahead with full research in this indication without patent restrictions.

Flufenoxina is an inhibitor of amyloid peptide release, an Alzheimer's generator factor, with significantly higher activity than current experimental comparisons.

Moreover, Faes Farma is continuing its expansion thanks to signing a series of licence agreements for the international marketing of Bilastina, a highly selective anti-hystaminic drug with an excellent safety profile, suitable for treating allergic rhinitis and chronic urticaria.

The Basque pharmaceutical company signed a Bilastina licence agreement last July with Hikma Pharmaceuticals for the Middle East and North Africa. Through this agreement, Faes Farma has agreed to grant Bilastina marketing rights to Hikma in 17 countries. Like this, Hikma becomes the fourth partner chosen by Faes Farma, together with Menarini, Yuhan and Merck Serono, to be granted international marketing licences for Bilastina.

The Italian company Menarini will promote this anti-hystaminic drug in 51 countries, including the European Union (E.U.), while Yuhan will be responsible for its marketing in South Korea and Merck Serono will do the same in India.