Ignis Therapeutics and STADA’s Britannia Pharmaceuticals Ltd. affiliate have jointly announced that two companies have signed an exclusive licensing agreement under which Ignis Therapeutics will develop and commercialize subcutaneous apomorphine for Parkinson’s disease in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. Under terms of the agreement, Britannia will receive an undisclosed upfront payment, milestone payments and sales-based royalties.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) currently affects an estimated 3 million people in China, with around 150,000 new diagnoses of the progressive neurological condition every year. A registry study conducted by Stacy et al. (2008) found that 16% of total PD patients fell within the advanced category for which continuous and intermittent dopaminergic treatment could be appropriate, companies said in a press release.
Apomorphine medicines are used by more than 10,000 PD patients worldwide. STADA, Britannia and their partners supply apomorphine under various brand names in 29 countries across 5 continents, companies said.
Ignis and STADA are committed to collaborating on clinical trials and other requirements necessary to obtain approval to bring this therapy option to patients in China. Subcutaneous apomorphine infusion is listed as a therapeutic option in Chinese guidelines for the treatment of Parkinson′s disease.
“We are delighted to have entered into this important strategic partnership with STADA and Britannia,” said Dr. Eileen Long, CEO of Ignis. “Following licensing deals for small-molecule drugs and innovative non-drug therapies, Ignis is now in-licensing drug-device combination therapeutic products, which will further enrich the company’s pipeline and better serve Chinese patients with CNS diseases.”
STADA CEO Peter Goldschmidt commented: “This partnership with Ignis to develop and commercialize a specialty Parkinson’s disease therapy presents STADA with a further pathway into the extensive and growing Chinese pharmaceutical market. Bringing new therapeutic options to patients around the world delivers on STADA’s purpose of Caring for People’s Health as a Trusted Partner.“
Robert Wood, CEO of Britannia, said: “We are excited to have signed this agreement with Ignis. As an innovative company focused on CNS therapies, Ignis has a strong and professional team, so we believe we have found the ideal partner for subcutaneous apomorphine in the territory.”