To develop and commercialise pioneering neuroscience treatments
Novartis has entered into a global collaboration with Amgen to commercialise and develop pioneering neuroscience treatments. The companies will partner in the development and commercialisation of a BACE inhibitor programme in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Novartis’ oral therapy CNP520 will be the lead molecule and further compounds from both company’s pre-clinical BACE inhibitor programmes may be considered as follow-on molecules. The collaboration will also focus on new Amgen drugs in the migraine field, including phase III AMG 334 and phase I AMG 301. For the migraine programme, Novartis will have global co-development rights and commercial rights outside the US, Canada and Japan.
“This Novartis collaboration with Amgen highlights our clear commitment to neuroscience and to bring multiple, new targeted therapies to patients living with Alzheimer’s disease and migraine, where the unmet medical need remains high,” said David Epstein, Head, Novartis Pharmaceuticals.
The partnership with Amgen follows two recent developments in the Novartis neuroscience portfolio aimed at complementing Novartis’ neuroscience presence and pipeline in, among others, multiple sclerosis, AD and neuromuscular diseases. In July 2015 Novartis acquired Spinifex Pharmaceuticals adding phase II compound EMA401 for the treatment of neuropathic pain to the portfolio.
Under the terms of the arrangement, Novartis and Amgen will share responsibilities for development and commercialisation of the BACE inhibitor programme. Amgen will pay an upfront payment and milestone payments as well as disproportional research and development costs for an agreed upon period followed by a 50/50 cost and profit share arrangement. For the compounds in the migraine field, Novartis receives global co-development rights and commercial rights outside the US, Canada and Japan to the investigative molecules in Amgen’s migraine portfolio. This includes AMG 334 in phase III and AMG 301 in phase I as well as an option to commercialise an additional early-stage Amgen molecule in these territories. Novartis will fund disproportional global R&D expenses for an agreed period on the migraine programmes and will pay Amgen double-digit royalties on sales.
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