A Japanese pharmaceutical company has bought the rights to commercialize a new medicine developed by Norwegian researcher and doctor Anita Kåss that’s showed promising results in treating arthritis, rheumatism, psoriasis and MS.
The director of the hospital where Kåss works in Skien, Betanien, claimed the deal was the largest licensing agreement ever entered into by a Norwegian hospital. The Japanese company Astallas paid NOK 800 million (USD 97 million) for the agreement and its patent.
Kåss worked for several years on the project, which is based on hormones that relieve pain and improve patients’ mobility. Both Kåss and the hospital can also look forward to commission income from the medicine in the years ahead.
“The money hasn’t come into our accounts yet, so I don’t dare use any of it in the budget yet,” hospital director Terje Danielsen told state broadcaster NRK. “But when the money comes in, we’ll have resources for more research.” The small, private hospital in Telemark County specializes in orthopedic operations, eye diseases and rheumatic afflictions.
newsinenglish.no staff
