GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to pay up to $50 million for the research arm of Croatia's Pliva. Pliva gains $35 million up front and another $15 million in milestone paydays. GSK gains intellectual property and 135 staffers at the facility, which focuses on the development of new antibiotics. Pliva CEO Zeljko Covic says the deal allows his company to concentrate on developing its generics business. Pliva researchers are best known for developing the blockbuster antibiotic Zithromax. Recent attempts to duplicate that success, though, have fallen short. Analysts note that the deal marks GSK's interest in extending R&D efforts into a variety of areas.
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