BioCentury
ARTICLE | Company News

Basilea, Astellas deal

March 3, 2014 8:00 AM UTC

Basilea will waive its rights to co-promote its isavuconazole ( BAL8557) in the U.S. and Canada in exchange for commercialization rights in the rest of the world and reduced potential milestone payments related to the antifungal from partner Astellas. The amendment to a February 2010 deal, in which partners are co-developing and commercializing outside Japan, will give Astellas exclusive commercialization rights to isavuconazole in the U.S. and Canada and reduce the milestone payments the biotech is eligible to receive to CHF374 million ($421.7 million); Basilea was originally eligible for CHF478 million ($539 million) in milestones. Astellas will be responsible for regulatory submissions and manufacturing in the U.S. and Canada. Under the original deal, Basilea had an option to co-promote the compound in the U.S., Canada, major European countries and China (see BioCentury, March 1, 2010).

Isavuconazole, a broad-spectrum water-soluble azole antifungal, is in the Phase III ACTIVE trial to treat candidemia and other invasive Candida infections and recently completed the Phase III VITAL trial to treat aspergillosis in patients with pre-existing renal impairment or rare fungal infections and the Phase III SECURE trial to treat invasive fungal disease caused by Aspergillus species. Basilea said data from SECURE and VITAL could form the basis of an initial regulatory filing for isavuconazole mid-year. ...