Florence, March 9 ^th , 2010

Menarini launches ADENURIC® (Febuxostat) in Europe

France, Germany, UK and Ireland are the countries where Menarini will launch, for the first time in Europe, ADENURIC® (febuxostat), the innovative drug for gout.
Gout is the most common form of arthritis in men, and is caused by high levels of uric acid in the body (hyperuricaemia).

On 8 ^th March, the first launch of ADENURIC® took place in France, country in which Ipsen has retained co-promotion rights together with Menarini.
ADENURIC® (febuxostat), will be launched in Uk on 11 ^th March, in Germany on 15 ^th March next, and in Ireland on 29 ^th March 2010.

Menarini and Ipsen, an innovation-driven international specialty pharmaceutical group, have signed an agreement last October 2009 for the exclusive rights to ADENURIC® in 41 countries, covering the European Union, Eastern Europe, including Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, as well as Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Armenia and Georgia.

ADENURIC® is a molecule of Japanese origin, developed by Teijin Pharma Ltd.,Tokyo. It is the first drug to be made available as an alternative to allopurinol, and addresses a medical need which has been unmet for many years.
ADENURIC® (febuxostat) has proven therapeutic superiority to allopurinol and above all is well tolerated by patients suffering from a mild and moderate renal impairment.