Older and wiser

Despite numerous clinical and regulatory setbacks over the years, Pozen Inc. last week entered into a deal with AstraZeneca plc under which the biotech will have responsibility for handling clinical and regulatory work in the U.S. POZN says it has learned from its stumbles.

AstraZeneca (LSE:AZN; AZN, London, U.K.) is paying $40 million up front to co-develop a product using its Nexium esomeprazole proton pump inhibitor (PPI) for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which posted $4.6 billion in 2005 sales. POZN will use its PN formulation technology to develop a tablet with a naproxen core coated with a pH-sensitive layer surrounded by the PPI. ...