KV to Buy Marketing Rights for Drugs From FemmePharma, Strides Arcolab

KV Pharmaceuticals will acquire worldwide marketing rights to an endometriosis treatment as well as U.S. and Canadian marketing rights for 10 generic drugs as a result of two recent deals.

KV penned an agreement with women's healthcare company FemmePharma to acquire worldwide marketing rights for an undisclosed product to treat endometriosis, a condition often resulting in pain and infertility from endometrial tissue developing outside the uterus, KV said. KV expects to incur a one-time charge of between $30 million and $32 million related to the deal. Sales of endometriosis treatments in the U.S. totaled roughly $830 million in 2004, KV said.

KV has also obtained worldwide rights to use FemmePharma's technology for vaginal anti-infective products. KV already markets two such anti-infectives, Gynazole-1 (butoconazole nitrate) and Clindesse (clindamycin phosphate).

In addition to the FemmePharma agreement, KV signed an agreement with Indian generic company Strides Arcolab to obtain exclusive U.S. and Canadian marketing rights to 10 generic drug products. The agreement also grants KV marketing rights in Europe for two of the 10 products and provides for future collaborations between the companies beyond the initial 10 products. The company did not disclose the products or information about their therapeutic categories.