LEO Pharma Establishes Strategic Company in China
SHANGHAI, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LEO Pharma is taking a giant leap into the Chinese market by establishing an affiliate with the ambition of eventually becoming the leading dermatological company in China.
The new company, LEO Pharma China, will market LEO Pharma's comprehensive portfolio of high-profile and patent protected drugs for the treatment of the chronic skin disease psoriasis and other dermatological products (pharmaceuticals for the treatment of skin diseases).
LEO Pharma's leading psoriasis brand, Daivobet®, has just been approved by the Chinese authorities and can now be marketed in China.
LEO Pharma's new company in China underpins LEO Pharma's long-term global strategy of providing patients that suffer from psoriasis with the best topical treatments possible.
"This is an interesting opportunity for LEO Pharma. We will be bringing our global knowledge of dermatology and comprehensive portfolio within high-profile, topical psoriasis drugs and other dermatological products into the new LEO company and out to the Chinese market for the benefit of the Chinese patients," says Poul Rasmussen, Chairman of the Board of LEO Pharma and of the sole shareholder, the LEO Foundation.
The setting-up of LEO Pharma China must be regarded as a long term investment for the LEO Group, says Gitte Aabo, CEO and President of LEO Pharma:
"The project in China can lead to significant investments for LEO Pharma, but the earnings potential in one of the fastest growing markets for pharmaceuticals can also be huge in the long term."
About psoriasis
Psoriasis often appears as raised red patches with silvery scales - known as plaques - in various anatomical sites.
It is primarily located on the elbows, knees and scalp, but can also appear elsewhere on the body. Severity can vary greatly.
Psoriasis affects 0.1 - 1 % of the population of China and is equally common in men and women. It can start at any age, but most patients develop psoriasis in their twenties. There is a peak of incidence in the late teens to early twenties and a second peak in the fifties.
The duration of an outbreak may vary, but in most patients, the cycle of remissions and exacerbations goes on for many years or even over an entire lifetime. If treated correctly many people with psoriasis can live regular lives with the condition.
Daivobet® is LEO Pharma's main product family for the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. Daivobet® is a fast, efficacious, once-daily dosage product for the topical treatment of psoriasis. Daivobet® has been used by thousands of people with psoriasis, and the product is very well documented in clinical trials. Furthermore, a 52-week randomized safety study shows that Daivobet® can be used for long-term treatment of psoriasis.
About LEO Pharma
LEO Pharma is an independent research-based pharmaceutical company with headquarters in Ballerup, Denmark. LEO Pharma is wholly owned by the LEO Foundation and is a leader within the strategic focus areas of Dermatology and Critical Care. LEO Pharma maintains a strong focus on developing, manufacturing and marketing safe and efficacious drugs for treating psoriasis and other skin diseases as well as thromboembolic disorders. 96% of the turnover, which in 2007 was DKK 5.2 billion, was generated outside Denmark. LEO Pharma is represented in more than 90 countries and has nearly 3,000 employees around the world, 1,200 of whom are based in Ballerup, Denmark.
Read more about LEO Pharma at www.leo-pharma.com. Read more about psoriasis at www.psorinfo.com - www.daivobet.com.