Purdue Canada acquires Merck's ophthalmology portfolio
Friday, December 11, 2015
Purdue Pharma announced Mundipharma Ophthalmology Products completed a multi-regional agreement with Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, to acquire its ophthalmology portfolio for the treatment of increased ocular pressure caused by open angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. This multiregional acquisition agreement will give Purdue Canada marketing rights to Merck's ophthalmology portfolio in Canada as part of the Mundipharma Ophthalmology Products Agreement that includes Australia, Latin America, Middle East, Africa and New Zealand. This multiregional agreement was previously announced on December 3, 2015.
This agreement supports Purdue Canada's desire to diversify our existing portfolio and strengthen our ability to grow in Canada," says Craig Landau, president & CEO of Purdue Canada. "We are excited to build on Merck's success with this portfolio and are committed to ensuring the best-in-class quality and access to these trusted products for glaucoma patients in Canada.
Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness worldwide. It is estimated that 4.5 million people globally are blind due to glaucomai and that this number will rise to 11.2 million by 2020ii. In Canada, glaucoma is the second most common cause of vision loss in seniors. More than 250,000 Canadians have chronic open-angle glaucoma, the most common form of the diseaseiii.
The acquired portfolio for Canada consists of COSOPT®, COSOPT® Preservative-Free, TIMOPTIC®, TIMOPTIC XE®, TIMOPTIC® Preservative -Free, TRUSOPT® and TRUSOPT® Preservative-Free, which cover the primary treatment methods of open-angle glaucoma. TIMOPTIC® is on the World Health Organization's list of essential medicines, and an important first line therapy. COSOPT® and TRUSOPT® both provide important therapies for patients requiring subsequent treatment. COSOPT®, TIMOPTIC®, TIMOPTIC XE®, and TRUSOPT® are Registered Trademarks.
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