In December 2014, Avanir Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals. The firm is a specialty pharmaceuticals and antibody generation services company engaged in the discovery, development and licensing of therapeutic products to treat chronic human diseases. In July 2000, the United States FDA approved the new drug application for the Company's lead therapeutic product, docosanol 10% cream, a topical treatment for recurrent oral-facial herpes infections, commonly known as cold sores and fever blisters. SmithKline Beecham began manufacturing and distributing docosanol 10% cream for the Company in the United States under the trade name Abreva in October 2000 under an exclusive license agreement for the North American market. AVANIR has licensing agreements with three companies for the promotion of docosanol cream: GlaxoSmithKline has the exclusive rights for sales and marketing activities as well as manufacturing and distribution of docosanol cream in the United States and Canada. CTS Chemical Industries, Ltd., located in Kiryat Malachi, Israel, has the rights to promote docosanol cream in Israel, including obtaining governmental approval for its manufacture and distribution. Boryung Pharmaceuticals, located in Seoul, Korea, has the rights to promote docosanol cream in Korea, including obtaining governmental approval for its manufacture and distribution. Through its own R&D work and by licensing compounds from other companies, AVANIR has built a pipeline that includes drug candidates to treat high cholesterol, inflammatory diseases, and allergies and asthma by regulating the IgE antibody. Lead drug candidate Neurodex may treat pseudobulbar affect, the pathological crying or laughing experienced by some people with such neurological disorders as Lou Gehrig's disease, multiple sclerosis, or Alzheimer's disease. Neurodex is also in trials for diabetic neuropathic pain.
