Avanir, Merck Enter Diabetes Promotion Pact

Avanir Pharmaceuticals has entered into an exclusive, multi-year agreement with Merck to co-promote Merck’s type 2 diabetes therapies Januvia and its family of products in long-term care institutions in the U.S.
 
Avanir’s institutional sales force will promote the sitagliptin family of products to health care practitioners beginning in October 2013. Avanir will be compensated via a fixed fee plus an incentive-based payment. Merck will continue to be responsible for the promotion of the sitagliptin family of products in all other settings, and will be responsible for all other aspects of research, manufacturing and marketing.
 
“We are extremely pleased to enter this agreement with Merck for its key diabetes therapies. This agreement will further advance our vision to become a leading specialty biopharmaceutical company and drive our commercial operations forward,” said Rohan Palekar, chief commercial officer at Avanir. “Our sales force is well established within the institutional setting and should be able to expand the adoption of Merck’s diabetes therapies based on their deep understanding of the treatment needs of these physician and patient populations.”