Ligand Pharmaceuticals About
Ligand Ligand's business strategy has long been to build a profitable,
high-growth pharmaceutical company based on two diversified product pipelines.
In LIGAND, their products ONTAK®, Targretin® capsules and Targretin
gel are approved for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma,
and Panretin® gel is approved for AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma.
Their fifth product, AVINZA®, is approved for chronic, moderate-to-severe
pain and was launched in the second quarter of 2002. Ligands most important
clinical development program is for Targretin capsules in non-small
cell
lung cancer.
In addition,Clinical Trials are ongoing for ONTAK in B- and T-cell non-Hodgkin's
lymphomas and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and for Targretin gel
in hand dermatitis.
In LCPP, Ligand has formed partnerships with 11 major pharmaceutical companies,
including Pfizer, Wyeth, GlaxoSmithKline and Lilly. These partners have approximately
20 potential products in various stages of development, many for diseases with
multibillion-dollar markets. Three of these products are second-generation selective
estrogen
receptor modulators (SERMs): lasofoxifene, which Pfizer is developing
for osteoporosis
and other indications; bazedoxifene --osteoporosis; and
bazedoxifene/PREMARIN®, which Wyeth is developing for osteoporosis
and menopausal
symptoms. More
on Ligand