SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. and PARIS, March 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Genentech, Inc. (NYSE:DNA) and Ipsen today announced the recent execution of a collaborative research and development (R&D) agreement to develop sustained-release formulations of Genentech's recombinant human growth hormone [somatropin (rDNA origin)].

This R&D collaboration is in addition to and supplements a previous agreement signed in 2002 whereby Ipsen gained exclusive rights to market NutropinAq(TM) Pen throughout Europe and the rest of the world, excluding North America and Japan. Nutropin AQ Pen(R) for use with the Nutropin AQ Pen(R) cartridge was cleared for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April 2002 and obtained marketing authorization under the trade name NutropinAq Pen from the European Medicines Agency in March 2004. Ipsen has already launched NutropinAq Pen in 12 European countries.

"We at Ipsen are proud to bring our expertise in sustained-release technology to this new collaboration with Genentech," said Mr. Jean-Luc Belingard, president and chief executive officer of the Ipsen Group. "Our common objective is to develop sustained-release formulations of recombinant human growth hormone to meet the needs of pediatric and adult growth hormone deficiency (GHD) patients."

"Genentech has a 20 year heritage of exploring new product options for growth hormone delivery to patients," said Joseph S. McCracken, Genentech's vice president of Business Development. "We value our collaboration with Ipsen and their experience with novel sustained release technology."

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