Sirion licenses anti-inflammatory

Sirion Therapeutics has entered into an exclusive agreement with Bridge Pharma for the worldwide rights to develop and market topical ophthalmic formulations containing Bridge's proprietary anti-inflammatory agent norketotifen.

Under the terms of the licensing agreement, Sirion will have the rights to manufacture, sell and distribute norketotifen for ocular use either alone or in combination with other drugs. Norketotifen is an anti-inflammatory drug with additional antihistaminic activity that may have clinical utility in various ocular conditions.

Sirion hopes to begin clinical trials with the new formulation of norketotifen in the first half of 2009.