AstraZeneca sells Amrimidx and Casodex European rights to Juvisé Pharmaceuticals

pharmafile | December 20, 2019 | News story | Medical Communications |  AstraZeneca, Cancer, Juvise, breast cancer, prostate cancer 

AstraZeneca has announced that it has agreed to sell the rights to Arimidex (anastrozole) and Casodex (bicalutamide) in Europe, as well as African, countries to Juvisé Pharmaceuticals.

These medicines are used primarily to treat breast and prostate cancers. AstraZeneca already divested the rights to both Arimidex and Casodex in the US in 2017.

Last year, Arimidex recorded a record $37 million in sales while Casodex made $24 million, in the regions where AstraZeneca has sold the right to Juvisé.

Dave Fredrickson, Executive Vice President of AstraZeneca’s Oncology Business Unit, said: “Arimidex and Casodex are important established medicines and we are pleased that Juvisé Pharmaceuticals will now take on the work of making sure patients continue to have access to them. Today’s agreement is part of a broader strategy of reducing our portfolio of mature medicines to reallocate resources towards developing our pipeline of new medicines.”

The deal makes French Pharmaceutical company Juvisé first foray into the oncology market and supports its strategy to expand in to the therapeutic area.

Frédéric Mascha, Juvisé Pharmaceuticals founder and President, said: “We are very pleased to have successfully closed our first deal with AstraZeneca and to enter a therapeutic area with high medical needs such as oncology with Arimidex and Casodex, which are two widely recognised cancer treatments essential for both patients and physicians.”

Conor Kavanagh