[April 20, 2006] Japan Tobacco, GlaxoSmithKline Conclude Licensing Agreement for New Drug Candidate Tweet (Comtex Business Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)Tokyo, Japan, Apr 20, 2006 (JCN Newswire via COMTEX) --Japan Tobacco (JT) has signed a licensing agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for a candidate compound developed by JT. Under the agreement, GSK will receive the worldwide exclusive right to develop and market the compound while JT retains co-promotion rights in Japan. In addition, JT will receive an upfront payment, milestone payments for development and royalties on future sales from GSK. The new compound, which is currently in preclinical trials in Japan, has a property that inhibits the activity of MAPK/ ERK kinase (MEK), a kind of enzyme involved in cell proliferation. JT expects the applications of the new compound to include treatment for cancer and inflammation. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]