Singapore: Japan's Kowa Company and Chugai Pharmaceutical have entered into license agreement for liver cancer drug peretinoin under which Kowa will acquire the marketing authorization, and Chugai will have the exclusive marketing rights of the product supplied by Kowa in Japan.

Under the terms of the agreements, Kowa will receive an upfront fee and milestone payments from Chugai.

Peretinoin is an oral acyclic retinoid with a vitamin A-like structure mainly targeting the retinoid nuclear receptor. It is the first drug in the world aiming at preventing the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma.