Biovail to promote Novartis' Lescol products in Canada

By Lisa Kerner

Erie, Pa., May 19 - Biovail Corp. said its Canadian sales and marketing division, Biovail Pharmaceuticals Canada (BPC), has entered into an agreement with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Novartis AG, to market and promote cholesterol medicines Lescol (fluvastatin sodium capsules) and once-daily Lescol XL (fluvastatin sodium extended-release tablets) in the C$1.4 billion statin market.

Under the two-year agreement, Biovail will promote Lescol, 20 mg and 40 mg capsules and once-daily Lescol XL 80 mg extended-release tablets. In return, the company will receive fee-based compensation on a percentage of Novartis' net selling price as well as milestone payments, according to a company news release.

"Lescol reduces 'bad' LDL cholesterol and increases 'good' HDL cholesterol in the blood which, in turn, can help to lower the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease," BPC vice president and general manager Doug Herman said in the release.

"In the LIPS(1) study, Lescol 80 mg significantly reduced the risk of major adverse cardiac events by 22%, compared with placebo, and by 47% among patients with diabetes, thus equalizing the long-term complications in diabetic patients down to that of non-diabetic patients."

About 40% of adult Canadians have high cholesterol, and heart disease remains the leading cause of death in Canada, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

Biovail is a specialty pharmaceutical company based in Toronto.

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