Zambon and Indena S.p.A. in Licensing Deal

MILAN, Italy -- Licensing and cooperation agreement in pain therapeutic area Italian pharmaceutical multinational Zambon Spa announced today the signing of an important agreement with Indena Spa, an Italian industry leader in the research and production of plant-derived pharmaceutical active ingredients.

The agreement concerns a new semi-synthetic molecule, patented by Indena, with intended application in pain treatment, and particularly of rheumatologic, orthopedic and traumatologic disorders. According to the terms of the agreement, Zambon has been granted worldwide exclusive license by Indena for the commercial exploitation of the product’s patent rights, with the goal of strengthening its presence in the European markets and of expanding it in emerging countries. Indena will receive milestone payments and royalties on global product sales.

Zambon group, headquartered in Bresso (Milan), Italy, will be responsible for developing the new molecule, currently in Phase I Clinical Trials (testing on healthy volunteers). The agreement is the result of an evolving R&D model, based on an extensive scientific network and open to collaborations with other research companies. This model aims at identifying projects already underway in priority areas (pain management, respiratory disorders, women’s healthcare) in order to lower risks of drug discovery, and at achieving higher returns on investments.

This model will also allow Zambon to further invest in pharmaceutical research, leveraging high-profile knowledge and expertise as required for the international development of new drugs. Zambon S.p.A Zambon S.p.A. is a subsidiary of the Zambon group, which, is controlled by Zambon Company SpA, an industrial holding company.

In addition to the pharmaceutical business, the group includes a chemical business unit named ZaCh System, as well as Z-Cube, its industrial incubator. Founded in 1906, Zambon operates in 15 countries and 3 continents (Europe, Asia, North and South America), and employs over 2,500 people with consolidated sales for 2008 of €555 million. Indena S.p.A. Indena is part of the Italian group IdB Holding, started in 1921, and is a global leader in NCEs (New Chemical Entities) identification and in the development and production of plant-derived active ingredients used in the pharmaceutical, nutritional and cosmetic industries. Indena invests approximately 10% of its sales revenues in research, and the IdB Holding group has a workforce of more than 700 people. It operates worldwide with 4 subsidiaries and 5 manufacturing sites, and distributes its products in 40 countries with consolidated sales for 2008 of about € 150 million.