Ipsen Completes Acquisition of ONIVYDE® (irinotecan liposome injection) and Additional Oncology Assets from Merrimack Pharmaceuticals
Tuesday, April 04, 2017
Ipsen announced that it has completed its acquisition of global oncology assets from Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, in Cambridge, MA., focusing on ONIVYDE® (irinotecan liposome injection) for the treatment of patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas after disease progression following gemcitabine-based therapy, in combination with fluorouracil and leucovorin.1,2 Ipsen has gained exclusive commercialization rights for the current and potential future indications for ONIVYDE® in the U.S., as well as the current licensing agreements with Shire for commercialization rights ex-U.S. and PharmaEngine for Taiwan. The acquisition also includes the Merrimack commercial and manufacturing infrastructure for ONIVYDE®, and generic doxorubicin HCl liposome injection.
“The addition of ONIVYDE® to Ipsen's Oncology portfolio is very important, first and foremost for patients with pancreatic cancer across the U.S., as there are limited approved therapies,” said Cynthia Schwalm, Executive Vice President and President, North American Commercial Operations, Ipsen. “Together with our experienced commercial and medical teams and the legacy we have gained through the acquisition of ONIVYDE®, we are confident in our ability to meet the growing needs of these patients.”
Along with this acquisition, Ipsen will continue to advance the clinical development program for ONIVYDE®.
Financial terms of the acquisition include an upfront cash payment of $575 million to Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, and up to $450 million upon the approval of potential additional indications for ONIVYDE® in the U.S.
