Starpharma
Holdings Ltd today announced the signing of an
agreement with SSL International plc, owner of Durex®, the
world’s leading condom brand.
The agreement, under which a commercial licence will be
negotiated, sets out a codevelopment program for condoms with a
VivaGel® coating. Undisclosed fees are payable to Starpharma
under the co-development agreement, which also provides for the
commencement of regulatory and market development activities by the two
parties.
SSL is the world’s largest manufacturer of condoms
with approximately 30% share of the global market for branded condom
sales, selling into over 100 countries around the world.
Global condom retail sales in 2005 were approximately $3.2
billion1, with the top four companies representing as much as 70% of
the market.
“We are delighted to be working with SSL, whom we
believe will be an excellent codevelopment partner for VivaGel®
as a condom coating,” said Starpharma’s Chief
Executive Officer, Dr Jackie Fairley. “In addition to
SSL’s unparalleled global commercial position and the
strength of the Durex® brand, Starpharma also values the
organisation’s innovative approach, and its social-marketing
program.
“Our development and commercialisation activities
for VivaGel® are gathering momentum with this SSL agreement
being the second of two unrelated condom coating agreements signed by
Starpharma in the last three months.” concluded Dr Fairley.
VivaGel® has been shown to have potent contraceptive and
microbicidal properties in animal studies, and is also under
development as a stand-alone gel to prevent the transmission of STIs,
including HIV and genital herpes.