Genentech says that it has signed a deal with France’s Ipsen to develop sustained-release formulations of the former’s recombinant human growth hormone, somatropin.

The deal comes on top of an agreement signed back in 2002, which gave Ipsen the exclusive rights to market the injectible version of Genentech’s growth hormone, NutropinAq Pen, throughout Europe and the rest of the world, excluding North America and Japan.

NutropinAQ Pen was cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration for use with the Nutropin AQ Pen cartridge in April 2002, and by the European regulators in March last year.