Merck, Santen deal

Merck will divest rights to nine ophthalmic products to Santen in countries in Europe and Asia-Pacific. Merck said the products, which includes Cosopt dorzolamide and Cosopt PF for intraocular pressure (IOP), had sales of about $400 million in 2013 in the markets covered by the deal. Merck will receive about $600 million up front and is eligible for up to $100 million in sales-based milestones tied to Cosopt. The deal is expected to close "in a few months."

Cosopt is a topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor and adrenergic receptor beta ( ADRB) blocker, and Cosopt PF is a preservative-free formulation of Cosopt. The deal includes IOP drugs Trusopt dorzolamide, a topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor; Trusopt PF, a preservative-free formulation of Trusopt; Timoptic timolol, a topical ADRB blocker to treat IOP in patients with ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma; Timoptic PF, a preservative-free formulation of Timoptic; Timoptic XE, a gel-forming formulation of Timoptic; and Saflutan tafluprost, a preservative-free, synthetic analog of prostaglandin F2 alpha. The deal also includes Taptiqom, a combination of tafluprost and timolol that has been submitted for approval in some EU markets to treat IOP. ...