Nycomed, Forest Collaborate on COPD

Nycomed and Forest Laboratories have entered into a collaboration and distribution agreement for Daxas in the U.S. Daxas is a proprietary selective phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) enzyme inhibitor that has been developed by Nycomed for the treatment of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and for which Nycomed submitted an NDA with the FDA in July.

Forest will make an upfront payment to Nycomed of $100 million and will pay undisclosed milestone payments. In addition, Nycomed will receive royalties based on Daxas sales. Forest will assume responsibility for the U.S. regulatory approval and commercialization of Daxas in the U.S. and the companies will collaborate on future development programs.

Hakan Bjorklund, chief executive officer of Nycomed, said: “We have received considerable interest in the marketing rights to Daxas and we believe Forest Laboratories is the best possible partner for Nycomed in the US. Forest Laboratories has a significant US sales force, an increasing focus on respiratory products and an unrivalled track record of partnering with European companies to build hugely successful franchises. We believe their absolute commitment to Daxas will help to bring this innovative new therapy to as many patients in the United Sates as possible who suffer from COPD, a disease which is predicted to become the third-leading cause of death worldwide by 2030.”

Howard Solomon, chairman and chief executive officer of Forest, said, “Daxas represents the first in a new class of agents to treat COPD and would be the first oral agent to be approved for this debilitating disease. If approved, Daxas will give physicians and patients a much needed new treatment option in a unique oral dosage form that can augment the existing armamentarium of inhaled therapies.”

Sign up today for Contracting & Outsourcing 2009!