Mumbai: Glenmark (UK) and Generics (UK) will jointly develop eight generic dermatological products for the European market. The agreement covers products, which have current sales of around $225 million, Glenmark informed the BSE in a release.

Glenmark (UK) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals while Generics (UK) belongs to the Merck Generics Group, a subsidiary of Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany.

Glenmark will develop, manufacture and supply the products while both the companies would be responsible for their own sales and marketing.

"The first of these products has already been filed and is targeted to be launched in 2007. The remaining products are expected to be launched by 2010," the release added.

"We are happy to partner with Merck Generics, which, besides being a well respected global generic pharmaceutical player, also has a strong sales presence in Europe. Our association is a testament to Glenmark''s combined strengths in dermatology and R&D," Glenn Saldanha, MD and CEO of Glenmark Pharma, said in the release.

Glenmark commenced its European operations by establishing a wholly owned subsidiary, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals [UK] Ltd in 2004. Its focus is on developing and marketing niche and branded generic products. The company is also evaluating inorganic growth opportunities, including acquisition of sales and distribution rights in select high-potential European markets.

Glenmark is a research-led, global, fully integrated pharmaceutical company headquartered in Mumbai the company has generic formulation and API business interests in over 80 countries, including the highly regulated markets of the USA and Europe. The formulation business spans several product segments covering dermatology, internal medicine, paediatrics, gynaecology, ENT and diabetes.

The company in also engaged in cutting-edge research in discovering new molecules and runs discovery projects in the areas of inflammation (Asthma / COPD, etc) and metabolic disorders (diabetes, obesity, etc). Its first asthma / COPD molecule, Oglemilast, was licensed out to Forest Laboratories and Teijin Pharma Limited for the North American and Japanese markets, respectively. This compound subsequently completed Phase I clinical trials successfully and has recently entered Phase II clinical trials in the US. The company''s second lead GRC 8200, a DPP-IV inhibitor for Type II diabetes, is in Phase II clinical trials in South Africa.

Glenmark''s third lead is a compound named GRC 10389, a CB-I receptor antagonist for the treatment of obesity. This compound is completing pre-clinical studies and is expected to be filed for a Phase I trial in H1 FY07. The company has three other programmes across inflammation and pain management at the pre-clinical stages.

Formerly part of the Amerpharm Group, Generics (UK) Limited was acquired by Merck KGaA in 1994. and is now part of the wider "Merck Generics Group" which comprises some fifteen companies, including: Alphapharm of Australia, Merck Generics BV of the Netherlands, Merck Dura of Germany, Merck Génériques of France, Genpharm of Canada, Gerard Laboratories of Eire, Scandpharm Generics of Sweden and Pacific of New Zealand.

Merck KGaA (Merck worldwide) is a major European healthcare and science based company with interests in ethical and generic pharmaceuticals, laboratory products and diagnostics and speciality chemicals. The company operates in 52 countries and over 28,900 people are employed worldwide. It is listed on the Frankfurt stock exchange and recorded a turnover of €5,339.5 billion for the year to December 2004.