QUEBEC — AEterna Zentaris Inc. has reached a deal to buy all assets related to a growth hormone in the late stages of development from its original manufacturer. The deal will see the Quebec-based company acquire the hormone’s development data, regulatory approvals and all other rights from Ardana Biosciences Ltd. for US$232,000. Ardana had developed the product to help test for growth hormone secretion deficiency, adding that it also has potential uses for cancer and AIDS treatments. ‘We are pleased to gain access to a project in an advanced development stage,” AEterna chief executive Juergen Engel said in a statement before stock markets opened. “Our product portfolio is now complemented with an additional project in Phase 3 clinical trials. We are confident that we can retain the interest of potential strategic partners for this project as we have already initiated partnering discussions.” Aeterna Zentaris is primarily focused on the development of endocrine drugs and cancer treatments.
