Aussie pharma pain pact
March 20, 2012
ASX-LISTED pharmaceutical
researcher QRxPharma has
announced a new deal with
generics giant Actavis, finalising the
legal terms and conditions for the
comercialisation of QRxPharma’s
MoxDuo IR in the USA.
MoxDuo IR is a combination of
morphine and oxycodone, and the
strategic partnership gives Actavis
exclusive rights to commercialise
and further develop MoxDuo IR for
the US market, while assuming all
costs for product launch as well as
ongoing marketing and sales efforts
in the USA.
Once the product launches
Actavis will pay QRx Pharma
royalties of up to 30% depending
on net sales thresholds, after an
initial 3-6 month period where
QRxPharma will receive a hefty 50%
royalty on US$150m in cumulative
sales of the product.
QRxPharma ceo John Holaday
said that with the agreement in
place “we are focusing our ongoing
energies towards supporting
Actavis” in the lead-up to the
launch which is expected in the
third quarter of 2012.
The Australian firm retains the
rights to MoxDuo outside the US,
and also owns the New Drug
Application and is responsible for
manufacturing the product at its
outsourced contract producer, DSM
Pharmaceuticals.
The letter of agreement gives
Actavis an option to negotiate for
US marketing and sales rights of
another product, MoxDuo CR, a
controlled release version of the product, as well as MoxDuo IV for
intravenous administration.
MoxDuo is a patented 3:2 ration
fixed dose combination of
morphine and oxycodone, and has
undergone a successful Phase 3
clinical trial program in which more
than 700 patients were treated, in
head-to-head comparisons with
morphine, oxycodone, Percocet
and placebo.
The privately-owned Actavis is
based in Europe with offices in a
number of countries, and is the
world’s fourth largest generics maker.
Actavis US ceo Doug Boothe said
“we are very optimistic about the
opportunity for MoxDuo IR to
successfully penetrate the $2.5
billion acute pain market in the US.”
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