Sepracor Inc. is a fully integrated, research-based specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to treating and preventing human disease by discovering, developing and commercializing innovative pharmaceutical products that are directed toward serving large and growing markets and unmet medical needs.
In October 2009, Sepracor was acquired by Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. (DSP), a top-ten listed pharmaceutical company based in Osaka, Japan, providing DSP access to Sepracor's fully integrated U.S.- and Canadian-based pharmaceutical infrastructure and pipeline platform.
DSP's U.S. subsidiary, Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma America (DSPA), merged into Sepracor in April 2010 creating one combined company that will provide collective resources to build upon Sepracor's strong, successful commercialization platform. In December 2009, DSPA submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for lurasidone, which is currently under FDA review.
Sepracor's drug development initiatives, together with its corporate development and licensing activities, have yielded a portfolio of pharmaceutical products and candidates with a focus on respiratory and central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Sepracor currently commercializes six products in the U.S., including LUNESTA® (eszopiclone), XOPENEX HFA® (levalbuterol tartrate) Inhalation Aerosol, XOPENEX® (levalbuterol HCl) Inhalation Solution, BROVANA® (arformoterol tartrate) Inhalation Solution, OMNARIS® (ciclesonide) Nasal Spray and ALVESCO® (ciclesonide) HFA Inhalation Aerosol. Sepracor's wholly owned subsidiary, Sepracor Pharmaceuticals, Inc., markets several additional products in Canada that are focused in the cardiovascular, CNS, pain and infectious disease therapeutic areas.
In addition to commercializing products in the U.S. and Canada, Sepracor is also a party to out-licensing agreements with other pharmaceutical companies that include: Schering-Plough for CLARINEX® (desloratadine); sanofi-aventis for ALLEGRA® (fexofenadine HCl); and UCB Pharma for XYZAL®/XUSAL™ (levocetirizine).
Sepracor continues to explore new opportunities for growing its pharmaceutical pipeline and its business, and in late 2007 and early 2008, significantly expanded its portfolio through strategic corporate development and licensing agreements. These agreements have provided the company with an antiepileptic candidate, STEDESA™ (eslicarbazepine acetate), licensed from BIAL-Portela & Ca, S.A., for which Sepracor submitted a NDA to the FDA, in March 2009 and a New Drug Submission to the Therapeutic Products Directorate of Health Canada in August 2009. Additionally, Sepracor obtained the rights to three additional ciclesonide product candidates in various stages of development, under its agreement with Nycomed, which serve to strengthen the company's respiratory portfolio.
Sepracor continues to broaden its research and development efforts with a focus primarily on CNS and respiratory disorders. Sepracor's product candidates are targeted toward the treatment of depression, pain, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and allergic rhinitis and are in various stages of development ranging from preclinical to Phase III. As part of the company's future growth strategy, Sepracor expects to continue to pursue strategic corporate development and licensing opportunities, which may include in-licensing additional compounds for development and commercialization, co-development and co-promotion collaborations, consideration of appropriate merger and acquisition activities and further expansion of discovery efforts through tactical collaborations.
Sepracor's corporate headquarters are located in Marlborough, Massachusetts and operates facilities in Fort Lee, NJ, Mississauga, Ontario and Windsor, Nova Scotia.