The SOLVAY Group and FUJISAWA Pharmaceutical Co. entered into a distribution agreement for LUVOX^TM (fluvoxamine) in Japan.

SOLVAY will manufacture and package LUVOX^TM tablets and FUJISAWA will distribute and promote LUVOX^TM in Japan.

SOLVAY SEIYAKU, SOLVAY'S pharmaceutical company in Japan, will be involved in pre-marketing activities and will copromote LUVOX^TM after launch.

Fluvoxamine is a product of the SOLVAY Group's health research discovered by SOLVAY DUPHAR laboratories in the Netherlands.

Fluvoxamine is already marketed in 52 countries and has been prescribed to more than 15 million patients world-wide.

In Japan, fluvoxamine was jointly developed by SOLVAY MEIJI YAKUHIN K.K. and MEIJI SEIKA K.K. for the indications of depression, depressive state and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Application for registration of LUVOX^TM was submitted to the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 1996. Marketing of fluvoxamine by MEIJI SEIKA and FUJISAWA under two different brand names will start after registration has been obtained.

The key symptoms of depression are a depressed mood and a loss of interest or pleasure associated with such symptoms as appetite and sleep disturbances, decreased energy, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, concentration difficulties, and in the more severe cases thoughts of death or suicide.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a disease characterized by obsessive thoughts and/or compulsive (uncontrollable) behaviours, like handwashing, checking, counting, etc., causing overwhelming anxiety and distress to the patients.

Both depression and OCD are thought to be caused by the imbalance of a chemical in the brain called serotonin, which sends impulses from one nerve to another.

LUVOX (fluvoxamine maleate) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) which offers a new method of treatment for depression and OCD by reducing effectively the symptoms of the disease without the side effects associated with the traditional treatments.

Fluvoxamine is expected to be the first SSRI in Japan.

FUJISAWA Pharmaceutical Co-Ltd. is one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in Japan with annual consolidated sales of about $ 2.5 billion (BEF 80 billion) in 1996 and is now actively developing its operations on a global scale, particularly in North American, Europe and Asia.

SOLVAY is an international chemical and pharmaceutical group, based in Brussels (Belgium) with operations in 41 countries and employing more than 35, 000 people. In 1996, it's total sales amounted to USD 8.8 billion (BEF 282 billion) generated by five sectors of activity : Alkalis, Peroxygens, Plastics, Processing and Healthcare.