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ARTICLE | Company News

Genentech, Novartis to share ex-U.S. Fovista rights

November 19, 2015 1:45 AM UTC

The Genentech Inc. unit of Roche (SIX:ROG; OTCQX:RHHBY) exercised its option to share ex-U.S. rights to wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) candidate Fovista pegpleranib with Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS; SIX:NOVN). The partners already market Lucentis ranibizumab for wet AMD and other ophthalmic indications.

Novartis held ex-U.S. commercialization rights to Fovista under a 2014 deal with Ophthotech Corp. (NASDAQ:OPHT), which retains exclusive U.S. rights to the pegylated aptamer against platelet derived growth factor B ( PDGFB; PDGF2). Novartis and Ophthotech lead Fovista's ex-U.S. development program. ...