Macular edema device coming to Japan

Irvine, CA-Allergan Inc. has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Japan's Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Co. Ltd. to develop and commercialize Posurdex for the ophthalmic marketplace in that country.

The investigational, bioerodable, extended release implant is designed to deliver dexamethasone to the back of the eye to treat macular edema. The companies estimate Japan's annual macular edema market at more than $100 million.