Genzyme buys rights to Bayer MS candidate
pharmafile | June 4, 2009 | News story | Sales and Marketing | Bayer, Genzyme
Genzyme has bought the global rights multiple sclerosis (MS) candidate Campath/MabCampath from Bayer HealthCare.
Originally discovered by Genzyme, Campath (alemtuzumab) is currently licensed to treat leukaemia but is in two phase III trials for MS that could see it approved for this indication in 2012
In acquiring rights to Campath and two other Bayer drugs Genzyme will create 11 new jobs at its UK HQ in Oxford and the positions are expected to be filled by September.
"We have already identified a number of high quality candidates for positions and anticipate that we will add some strong additional talent to the Genzyme team," said Genzyme UK & Ireland director Rory Cameron.
Marketing and product managers in the company's haemotology and oncology portfolio, as well as a number of product specialists, are among the new posts.
Bayer had been co-developing the monoclonal antibody Campath in MS with Genzyme, and will continue funding until it is approved.
But Genzyme is now leading on two phase III trials for Campath, for which it expects to report results in 2011.
The first treats early, active relapsing-remitting patients who have received no prior therapy. The second is for relapsing-remitting patients who had active disease while on other MS therapies.
In addition to responsibility for developing and marketing Campath, Genzyme will take on the same rights for two more of Bayers leukaemia drugs – Fludara and Leukine – as part of the deal.
Like Campath, Fludara (fludarabine phosphate) is for patients with B-cell chronic leukaemia.
Meanwhile Leukine (sargramostim), marketed in the US, is a treatment for older adult patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) following chemotherapy.
"The products acquired through the transaction with Bayer HealthCare significantly expand our presence in the area of haematologic malignancies," added Cameron.
Genzyme describes this therapy area as a fast developing part of our business.
It already has Clolar (marketed in Europe as Evoltra) for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in pediatric patients.
An application for Clolar to treat older adults with newly diagnosed AML will be reviewed in September by regulators.
And Genzyme launched Mozobil in the US earlier this year, a drug used to prepare patients with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and multiple myeloma for stem-cell transplants.
EU approval is expected in the second half of this year.
Genzyme is giving nothing upfront to Bayer for rights to all the products, but after approval it will make payments based on their revenue.
The manufacturer will also acquire a new Leukine manufacturing facility, the green light for which is expected from the US Food and Drug Administration next year.
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