AstraZeneca will pay Actavis $600 million plus royalties for US and Canadian rights to Daliresp roflumilast and the Tudorza Pressair aclidinium bromide DPI, plus development rights to an aclidinium/formoterol DPI which was approved in Europe as Duaklir Genuair.
AstraZeneca acquired Almirall’s respiratory portfolio in 2014. Almirall had licensed US rights to aclidinium to Forest Laboratories, which was acquired by Actavis in early 2014.
In 2012, Almirall licensed rights to the aclidinium bromide DPI in most of Europe to Menarini, which markets the inhaler as Bretaris Genuair. In several countries, including the UK, the aclidinium DPI is marketed as Eklira Genuair.
According to the announcement, “AstraZeneca will also pay Actavis an additional $100 million, and Actavis has agreed to a number of contractual consents and approvals, including certain amendments to the ongoing collaboration agreements between AstraZeneca and Actavis.”
Actavis CEO and President Brent Saunders commented, “This divestiture will permit Actavis to sharpen our strategic focus and sales and marketing activities on our larger, core therapeutic categories in CNS, Women’s Health, Urology, GI, Anti-infectives and Cardiovascular, as well as in Dermatology/Aesthetics and Ophthalmology, which will be added to our global brand portfolio following the completion of the Allergan acquisition later this year. It will also enhance our options in the near term to invest in further expansion through business development or accelerate debt repayment. The decision to divest these brand respiratory products will have no impact on our commitment to investing in and developing our generic respiratory product line.”
AstraZeneca US President Paul Hudson said, “Our agreement with Actavis builds on our acquisition of Almirall’s respiratory portfolio and brings long-term value to one of our key growth platforms. With the addition of Tudorza and Daliresp, we will benefit from an immediate boost to revenue in our biggest market, further strengthening our growing respiratory franchise. This combined portfolio helps us to offer an even broader range of innovative treatments and formulations to physicians and pulmonary specialists for patients suffering with COPD.”
Read the AstraZeneca and Actavis press release.
