BioCentury
ARTICLE | Company News

Horizon Pharma, Pozen, AstraZeneca deal

November 25, 2013 8:00 AM UTC

Horizon will acquire U.S. rights to Vimovo naproxen/esomeprazole from AstraZeneca for $35 million in cash up front. Horizon will take over U.S. commercialization of Vimovo from AstraZeneca and ongoing U.S. patent litigation for the drug. AstraZeneca, which will retain ex-U.S. rights to Vimovo, is partnered to develop and commercialize the product with Pozen under a 2006 deal. Pozen will remain eligible for 10% royalties on net U.S. sales of Vimovo, with a minimum royalty payment of $5 million in 2014 and $7.5 million afterwards so long as there are no generic versions of Vimovo on the U.S. market.

In 2012, AstraZeneca recorded $65 million in worldwide Vimovo sales, including $25 million in U.S. sales. The fixed-dose combination of naproxen and esomeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor, is approved in the U.S. to treat signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis; and to decrease the risk of developing gastric ulcers in patients at risk of developing NSAID-associated gastric ulcers. Vimovo is also approved in Canada and the U.K. for the indication. JMP Securities was financial advisor to Horizon in the deal, and Cooley LLP was the company's legal advisor. ...