Elan US marketing partner Ligand Pharmaceuticals has secured federal approval for a morphine-based drug to treat chronic illness.
Avinza is an oral once-daily sustained-release dose of morphine for pain management, primarily in the oncology field and for HIV patients.
Ligand will hold the US and Canadian marketing rights to the product, and Elan retains marketing rights for the rest of the world.
Elan is expected to receive revenues of $15 million in 2002 from the drug.
