Sosei to Launch NorLevo(R) TABLETS 0.75mg (Emergency Contraceptive Pill) in Japan

TOKYO, May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sosei Group Corporation ("Sosei"; TSE Mothers Index: 4565), the biopharmaceutical company, today announced that Sosei Co., Ltd., its wholly owned Japanese subsidiary, will launch its emergency contraceptive pill, NorLevo(R) TABLETS 0.75mg, tomorrow 24 May, through the distribution network of its commercialization partner, ASKA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

NorLevo(R) is an oral emergency contraceptive, which is taken within 72 hours after unprotected sexual intercourse or contraceptive failure to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Its active ingredient, levonorgestrel, is listed as an essential drug by WHO.

Sosei acquired the exclusive development and distribution rights to the product in Japan and Australia from Laboratoire HRA Pharma in April 2001. NorLevo(R) was first launched in Europe in 1999 and is currently approved in some 50 countries. In Japan, Sosei was granted approval for NorLevo(R) in February 2011.

Sosei signed a distribution agreement with ASKA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd in November 2009.

Shinichi Tamura, CEO of Sosei Group Corporation, commented: "We are very pleased to announce the launch of the first emergency contraceptive in Japan. We are proud that our first product has reached the market and that we can contribute to the health of Japanese women. These are important achievements for our company. Sosei will continue with its efforts to fulfil unmet medical needs in future."

Notes for Editors:

About Sosei

Sosei is an international biopharmaceutical company anchored in Japan with a global reach. It practises a reduced risk business model by acquiring compounds from, and bringing compounds into, Japan through exploitation of its unique position within global markets.

For further information about Sosei, please visit http://www.sosei.com.

About HRA Pharma

HRA Pharma is a privately-held European pharmaceutical company that designs products, devices and supporting services in niche areas of health and makes them available to doctors and patients worldwide. The company targets therapeutic gaps in the areas of reproductive health and endocrinology and uses innovative marketing solutions and socially-conscious programs to promote healthy management of drugs and diseases. Headquartered in Paris, France and with offices throughout Europe, HRA Pharma has built a strong network of R&D, manufacturing, distribution and NGO partners which enables it to satisfy critical patient needs and improve patient health in over 50 countries across the globe. Visit http://www.hra-pharma.com for more information.

About ASKA

Based on the corporate mission, "Contribute toward the improvement of people's health and progress in medicine through the development of innovative products," ASKA Pharmaceutical, as a focused research and development (R&D) oriented company, concentrates its management resources for the development of new products in defined areas to develop and supply innovative and creative pharmaceutical products that contribute broadly to society. With 934 employees (as of December 2010), ASKA develops and commercializes products in areas of internal medicine (digestive and cardiovascular organs, thyroid glands), urology, otorhinolaryngology, and gynecology and obstetrics.

For further information about ASKA, please visit http://www.aska-pharma.co.jp.

SOURCE Sosei Group Corporation