Valeant buys InterMune hepatitis C drug

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Valeant buys InterMune hepatitis C drug

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International said Tuesday it closed its purchase of the United States and Canadian rights to hepatitis C drug Infergen from InterMune Inc. for $113.5 million in cash.

Brisbane-based InterMune (NASDAQ: ITMN) also will receive a cash payment of about $2.3 million in 2007, and development milestone cash payments in 2007 and 2009, which could total $20 million, the company said.

Infergen is used to treat adult patients suffering from chronic hepatitis C viral infections with liver disease.

Costa Mesa's Valeant (NYSE: VRX) is a pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures and markets products in neurology, infectious disease and dermatology.

InterMune is a biotechnology company focused on the research, development and commercialization of therapies in pulmonology and hepatology.

http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2006/01/02/daily3.html?jst=b_ln_hl

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Alle Aktien in diesem Artikel: InterMune Inc.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals Completes Acquisition of Hep-C Drug Infergen® From InterMune03.01.2006 13:30:00

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (NYSE:VRX) todayannounced that it has completed its acquisition of the United Statesand Canadian rights to the hepatitis C drug Infergen® (interferonalfacon-1) from InterMune, Inc. (NASDAQ:ITMN) following earlytermination by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission of the waiting periodunder the Hart--Rodino Antitrust Improvement Act of 1976. Infergen or consensus interferon, is a bio-optimized, selectiveand highly potent type 1 interferon alpha originally developed byAmgen and launched in the United States in 1997. It is currentlyindicated as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients sufferingfrom chronic hepatitis C viral infections with compensated liverdisease and is dosed three times per week. Infergen is the onlyinterferon with data in the label regarding use in patients followingrelapse or non-response to certain previous treatments. Important Safety Information Alpha interferons, including Infergen, cause or aggravate fatal orlife-threatening neuropsychiatric, autoimmune, ischemic, andinfectious disorders. Patients should be monitored closely withperiodic clinical and laboratory evaluations. Patients withpersistently severe or worsening symptoms of these conditions shouldbe withdrawn from therapy. In many, but not all cases, these disordersresolve after stopping Infergen therapy. The most common side effectsare flu-like symptoms (i.e., headache, fatigue, fever, myalgia, andrigors). Physicians and patients can obtain additional prescribing information regarding Infergen, including the product's safety profileand the box warning for all interferon alphas regardingneuropsychiatric, autoimmune, ischemic and infectious disorders, by visiting www.infergen.com About Valeant Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (NYSE:VRX) is a global,research-based specialty pharmaceutical company that discovers,develops, manufactures and markets products primarily in the areas ofneurology, infectious disease and dermatology. More information aboutValeant can be found at www.valeant.com.

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