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Pfizer introduces postmenopausal osteoporosis drug Viviant in Japan, Spain

Ligand Pharmaceuticals said that its partner Pfizer has introduced Viviant (Bazedoxifene) in Japan for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Under the brand name Conbriza, the drug will also be marketed in Spain through a co-promotion with Almirall, an international pharmaceutical company based in Spain.

Viviant, a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), is a result of the research collaboration between Wyeth (now Pfizer) and Ligand that began in 1994.

Pfizer is responsible for the registration and worldwide marketing of bazedoxifene, a synthetic drug specifically designed to reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures while also protecting uterine tissue. Ligand is entitled to receive tiered royalties on net sales of bazedoxifene.

Pfizer received manufacturing and marketing approval for the product in Japan in July 2010. Viviant was approved in April 2009 by the European Commission (under the trade name Conbriza for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis in women at increased risk of fracture.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals CEO and president John Higgins said that Viviant’s commercial introduction in Japan and Spain reflects the quality of the company’s collaborations and the expertise of its partners in business, product development and international regulatory affairs.

Ligand discovers and develops novel drugs that address critical unmet medical needs of patients for a broad spectrum of diseases including hepatitis, muscle wasting, Alzheimer’s disease, dyslipidemia, diabetes, anemia, COPD, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis.