Starpharma Holdings Ltd today announced the signing of an agreement with SSL International plc, owner of Durex®, the world’s leading condom brand.
The agreement, under which a commercial licence will be negotiated, sets out a codevelopment program for condoms with a VivaGel® coating. Undisclosed fees are payable to Starpharma under the co-development agreement, which also provides for the commencement of regulatory and market development activities by the two parties.
SSL is the world’s largest manufacturer of condoms with approximately 30% share of the global market for branded condom sales, selling into over 100 countries around the world.
Global condom retail sales in 2005 were approximately $3.2 billion1, with the top four companies representing as much as 70% of the market.
“We are delighted to be working with SSL, whom we believe will be an excellent codevelopment partner for VivaGel® as a condom coating,” said Starpharma’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Jackie Fairley. “In addition to SSL’s unparalleled global commercial position and the strength of the Durex® brand, Starpharma also values the organisation’s innovative approach, and its social-marketing program.
“Our development and commercialisation activities for VivaGel® are gathering momentum with this SSL agreement being the second of two unrelated condom coating agreements signed by Starpharma in the last three months.” concluded Dr Fairley. VivaGel® has been shown to have potent contraceptive and microbicidal properties in animal studies, and is also under development as a stand-alone gel to prevent the transmission of STIs, including HIV and genital herpes.