Allergan Plc: Continue to Strengthen Its Presence and Innovation in GI market

Reportedly, on Oct 3, 2016, Allegran Plc; headquartered in New Jersey (US) announced that it has entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with MedImmune (AstraZeneca’s R&D arm) to develop and commercialize MEDI2070 which finally get completed on Nov 17, 2016.

As per the terms of the agreement, Allergan will pay an upfront payment to AstraZeneca of $250 million for the license. In addition, Allergan may make potential payments to AstraZeneca of up to $1.27 billion, dependent on the achievement of agreed upon success and sales milestones. MedImmune has been leading the clinical development for MEDI2070 under a collaboration agreement with Amgen Inc. Thus as per the agreement, AstraZeneca will subsequently pay Amgen 1/3rd of all payments and royalties received from Allergan.

MEDI2070 is an anti-IL-23 monoclonal antibody in development for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis, which is outside AstrsZenca’s above mentioned three therapy areas. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are both long-term conditions with inflammation of the gut. Ulcerative colitis only affects the colon (large intestine), whereas Crohn’s disease affects all of the digestive tracts, from mouth to anus. Approximately 1.6 million Americans and 2.2 million Europeans suffer from Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Most of the patients are suffered in their young adulthood and these incidence rates are constantly rising with significant unmet needs.

Although much improvement has been made in the last 15 years in treating immune-mediated diseases but still much is required to provide safe and effective therapies for those patients who fail to have an effective response to existing treatments. This agreement adds a novel program for potential treatment of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

Hopefully, MEDI2070 may be an effective treatment for patients with Crohn’s disease.

MedImmune LLC, headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, wholly owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of small molecule and biologic prescription medicines. MedImmune is the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca, mainly focuses on three core therapeutic areas: Oncology; Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmune; and Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease.

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company, focusing three therapy areas – Respiratory, Cardiovascular & Metabolic Diseases, and Oncology. The Company is also working towards inflammation, infection and neuroscience through numerous collaborations operate in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are comforting millions of patients worldwide.

Allergan plc, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a specialty pharmaceutical company. The Company is engaged in the development, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of pharmaceutical products, medical aesthetics, biosimilar and over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical products for patients around the world. Allergan provides best in class products for gastroenterology, central nervous system, medical aesthetics, eye care, dermatology, women’s health, urology and anti-infective therapeutic categories.

About the Author: Dr. Komal Tomar, Sr. Licensing Associate at IIPRD and Khurana&Khurana, Advocates and IP Attorneys and can be reached at [email protected]

References:

• https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2016/MedImmune-completes-out-licensing-agreement-with-Allergan-for-MEDI2070-17112016.html
• https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2016/medimmune-out-licenses-potential-medicine-for-inflammatory-diseases-to-allergan-03102016.html
• http://www.allergan.com/news/news/thomson-reuters/allergan-plc-enters-into-licensing-agreement-with