Singapore: LEO Pharma plans to establish five long-term, strategic research collaborations in four countries by the end of next year. The ambitious initiative aims to deliver new treatment options to dermatology patients. The first in the series of collaborations to be announced is with Charite, one of Europe's oldest and largest university hospitals.

LEO Pharma has revealed plans to establish five long-term, strategic research collaborations from now until the end of 2013 in Australia, France, Germany and the US. The research will supplement LEO Pharma's internal R&D activities.

Each collaboration will integrate discovery research and exploratory clinical trials to an exceptionally high degree. The unique approach will enable LEO Pharma to explore more dermatological treatment solutions at record speed - reducing the time it takes to deliver new therapeutic options.

"This marks the beginning of an exciting journey for LEO Pharma and the patients we serve. By joining forces with world-leading experts, we hope to break important, new ground in dermatology - faster than we've ever done before," says Kim Kjoeller, Senior Vice President, Global Development.

"We're entering unchartered territory. Not only will we identify and test treatment solutions that no one has explored before; we will also explore new therapeutic areas for LEO Pharma. By working at the forefront of drug discovery and development, LEO Pharma can go that extra mile to meet patient needs. We are excited about the possibilities ahead."

The scope of the scientific collaboration strategy covers skin conditions in which LEO Pharma is al-ready active, such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and actinic keratosis, as well as new therapeutic areas for LEO Pharma.