Pharmaceutical companies Otsuka and Lundbeck have expanded their collaboration to include the promotion of schizophrenia drug Abilify (aripiprazole) in 14 EU countries from 1 April.

The two companies will co-promote Abilify, which is currently marketed by Otsuka, in the UK and six other European countries.

Lundbeck will promote the antipsychotic drug in Ireland and six other EU countries.

The collaboration covers all forms of Abilify that are available: three oral formulations and the rapid intramuscular injectable version.

Abilify is now the biggest-selling drug in the US, despite the limited incidence of schizophrenia (an estimated 1% of the population).

Otsuka and Lundbeck will jointly promote Abilify in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK, while Lundbeck will promote it in Austria, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Romania.

Taro Iwamoto, President of Otsuka, said: “The agreement will further strengthen the Abilify brand in Europe and also position Otsuka and Lundbeck to successfully develop and launch up to five more new products there.”

The partners are about to launch a new monthly injectable version, Abilify Maintena, in the US, and submitted it to for EMA approval in December 2012.

Ulf Wiinberg, CEO of Lundbeck, commented: “Abilify Maintena represents a treatment option for patients and their physicians and caregivers seeking an alternative long-term maintenance treatment for schizophrenia, and we are pleased to join Otsuka in launching this first product as part of our extensive global alliance.”

Aripiprazole is a partial D2 dopamine receptor agonist that has been shown to reduce the risk of relapses in people suffering from schizophrenia.

Otsuka and Lundbeck signed an agreement to collaborate in the development and promotion of drugs to treat central nervous system disorders in November 2011.

Pharmaceutical companies Lundbeck and Otsuka have formed a global alliance to deliver up to five new psychiatric and neuroscience drugs.

The Danish and Japanese pharma companies, both of which have a strong record in CNS products, have signed a sales and cost share agreement.

The alliance covers two near-term projects from Otsuka and an earlier-stage portfolio of psychiatric disorder treatments, encompassing psychotic, mood and behavioural disorders at all levels of severity, from Lundbeck.

The two companies have identified psychiatric disorders as a major area of unmet need.

Lundbeck is granted co-development and co-commercialisation rights to two Otsuka drugs: aripiprazole depot formulation (which improves compliance in users of the drug) and OPC-34712 (for schizophrenia and major depressive disorder).

Otsuka will have an option to co-develop and co-commercialise up to three early-stage compounds in Lundbeck’s R&D pipeline.

“With the addition of aripiprazole depot formulation and OPC-34712, Lundbeck has significantly broadened its growing psychiatry portfolio with exciting and unique treatments in an area of high unmet needs,” said Ulf Wiinberg, Lundbeck’s President and CEO.

“This collaboration further strengthens our US platform and allows us to be introduced with the US psychiatry community already in 2013."

Dr. Taro Iwamoto, President and Representative Director, Otsuka, commented: “We are very excited that Otsuka and Lundbeck have entered into a co-development and co-commercialisation agreement for aripiprazole depot formulation and OPC-34712, both potential key drivers of future growth for Otsuka’s CNS business.

“Lundbeck’s expertise in developing depression and anxiety treatments and Otsuka’s expertise in developing anti-psychotics will maximise the medical and commercial value of Otsuka’s portfolio in CNS. In addition, our partnership with Lundbeck will enable us to establish a strong platform to deliver these compounds to patients who need them.”

Through the sales and cost share agreement, Otsuka will receive up to US$1.8 billion from Lundbeck – which will see its psychiatry portfolio and US market penetration increase.

The combination of Otsuka’s strong presence in North America and Asia with Lundbeck’s strong presence in Europe, Canada and Latin America mean that the alliance will reach most of the global psychiatric market.