Ranbaxy Laboratories

Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd on September 24, 2007 announced that the Company has signed an exclusive in-licensing agreement with Sirtex Medical Pvt Ltd (Sirtex), Australia, to promote and market Sirtex's product, SIR-Spheres®. The product, approved by the US Food and Drug Authority, is used for the treatment of patients with inoperable tumors from primary colorectal cancer that have spread to the liver (Unresectable Metastatic Liver Tumors from Primary Colorectal Cancer).

Commenting on the licensing deal, Mr. Sanjeev Dani, Senior Vice President & Regional Director, Asia & CIS, of the Company, said, "We are pleased to partner with Sirtex, Australia, for this unique, high technology product -SIR Spheres®. We shall work towards creating a productive relationship by complementing each others strengths. The agreement will enable Ranbaxy to further strengthen our position in Oncology Segment"

SIR-Spheres® are biocompatible radio-active micro-spheres that contain yttrium-90 and emit bcta radiation. They are implanted using a syringe and travel via the blood stream, whereupon the spheres are targeted to the tumors within the liver. Once targeted to the tumor, SIR-Spheres irradiate it by a process known as Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT), leading to the destructs ion of the tumor, whilst most of the normal liver tissue remains relatively unaffected.

SIR-Spheres have been used to treat many hundreds of patients with liver cancer in Australia, USA, Europe, New Zealand and Asia in a variety of clinical trials and general practice.

Hepato-Cellular Cancer (HCC) is fifth most common cancer in the world and fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. Though HCC was rare in Western World and common in Asian Pacific region, there, is worldwide increasing incidence of HCC. In India also there is increasing incidence of HCC. According to 2001 estimates in India, about 12,750 new patients were diagnosed to have HCC. In India, prevalence of HCC is about 5 patients per 100,000 population and men are affected twice as often as women. The incidence is 2.77 males and 1.28 females per 100,000 people. The mean age at diagnosis is between 50-60 years.

Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers in the Western Society. The incidence of CRC is rising in India both amongst men and women. Currently the prevalence is close to 4 cases per 100,000 population. For the year 2001, it was estimated that the incidence of colorectal cancer in India would he 18,427 in men and 13,092 in women. This is similar to the number diagnosed annually in the UK. More than 90% of CRC cancer occurs in patients older than 50 years. Obesity, tobacco use, dietary factors, inflammatory bowel disease are sonic of the risk factors associated with CRC.

SIRTeX Medical's principal activities include research, development and commercialization of treatments for liver cancer. The Company was formed in 1997 to acquire and commercialize a portfolio of three technologies relating to the treatment of liver cancer developed by the CRI and Dr Bruce Gray. SIRTeX Medical aims to become the world leader in liver cancer treatment products. The Company believes the unmet demand for effective treatment of liver cancer provides an opportunity for SIRTeX Medical's products, and it will also apply its micro-sphere technology to other diseases where the Company's intellectual property can provide market opportunities.