BioCentury
ARTICLE | Company News

Apricus Biosciences, Novartis sales and marketing update

January 6, 2014 8:00 AM UTC

On Dec. 16, 2013, Apricus and the Sandoz generics unit of Novartis added Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland to a February 2012 deal granting Sandoz rights to market Vitaros alprostadil in Germany to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). Apricus is now eligible for up to $63 million in upfront payments and regulatory, launch and sales milestones, plus double-digit tiered royalties. The $63 million figure includes up to $4.5 million in new upfront payments and launch milestones for the expanded territories. Under the original deal, Apricus was eligible for up to €21 million ($28.7 million) in an upfront payment and milestones, plus double-digit royalties. Novartis directed questions to Apricus, which said the majority of the $63 million will relate to sales milestones (see BioCentury, Feb. 20, 2012).

Vitaros was approved under the Europe's decentralized procedure last June, with the Netherlands acting as the reference state. Concerned member states Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the U.K. have approved the drug, which is still under review in France, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg. Apricus said it is on track to receive the remainder of the approvals through 1Q14 and expects its partners to launch the product throughout 2014. ...