LEO Pharma Initiates Global Search for New Partners

Ballerup, Denmark (ots/PRNewswire) -

LEO Pharma is now actively searching for new global or
territorial partners to deliver promising new compounds for its
dermatology-focused pipeline. Corporate VP hopes to sign two or more
new deals before the end of 2012.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120614/537969-a )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120614/537969-b )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120614/537969-c )

After successfully gaining FDA approval in April for Picato(R), a
novel treatment for solar keratoses, LEO Pharma has initiated a
global search for new partners within dermatology.

"Last year, we changed our R&D focus to concentrate solely on
dermatology. We are now a dermatology company, and we're searching
for partners and opportunities to strengthen that position," says
Kristian Lykke Fick, who is spearheading the partner search as
Corporate Vice President of Corporate Business Development. He says
that LEO Pharma last year spent EUR 141m on Research & Development,
close to 15 percent of the company's revenue.

This year, LEO Pharma entered its first multi-million-dollar
collaboration in January by signing an in-licensing deal with U.S.
biotech company Virobay Inc. to develop an oral treatment for
psoriasis.

When searching the globe for new partners, LEO Pharma focuses
equally on existing and new therapeutic areas. The company currently
has products indicated for psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, eczema and
solar keratoses.

"Basically, any opportunity within prescription dermatology with
a sales potential above EUR 75m has our interest. We seek early- and
late-stage compounds as well as new delivery systems. Besides our
current therapeutic focus, we'll be looking for drug candidates
targeted at, for example, acne, rosacea, vitiligo, skin cancer and
orphan skin diseases," says Kristian Lykke Fick and continues:

"We typically consider 500 opportunities annually, of which we
find 100 interesting enough for further dialogue. In the end, we move
about 10 of them to due diligence. I hope we'll find a handful of
these most promising candidates at this year's BIO convention. If
everything works out well, we can sign another two to three
significant deals this year."

LEO Pharma has more than 5,000 employees in 61 countries with
total revenue of EUR 1,039m in 2011. This makes it the third-largest
pharmaceutical company in Denmark, preceded only by H. Lundbeck and
Novo Nordisk. The BIO International Convention will be held June
18-21 in Boston and is the largest global partnering event for the
biotechnology industry with more than 15,000 participants.

Link to fact sheet about LEO Pharma [http://www.leo-pharma.com/F
iles/Billeder/LEO_corporate_images/graphics/LEO PharmaCorporate Media
Fact Sheet_FINAL.pdf ]

Contact:

Kristian Lykke Fick, Corporate Vice President, Corporate Business
Development, Mobile: +45-41-37-11-22, E-mail:
kristian.fick@leo-pharma.com

Photo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120614/537969-a
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120614/537969-b
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120614/537969-c

ots Originaltext: LEO Pharma
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