UCB grants Dermira exclusive license to develop Cimzia in US, Canada and EU

UCB and Dermira Inc. announced they have started an exclusive licensing agreement to develop and commercialize Cimzia (certolizumab pegol, UCB) to increase patient access and make the treatment available for psoriasis, according to a press release from the companies.

“Since the first US approval of Cimzia in 2008, we continue to evaluate its potential across severe immunological diseases with the goal of bringing this treatment option to more patients,” Iris Loew-Friedrich, MD, chief medical officer and EVP, UCB, said in the release.

The agreement gives Dermira exclusive license for the development of certolizumab pegol for the treatment of psoriasis in the US, Canada and the European Union, according to the press release.

Dermira will be responsible for the phase 3 study, and will receive payments of up to $49.5 million when it achieves certain development and regulatory goals, according to the press release.

Dermira is also granted an exclusive commercialization license to market Cimzia to dermatologists in the US and Canada, subject to necessary regulatory approval.

In the US, Cimzia is approved for the treatment of moderate to severely acute rheumatoid arthritis, active psoriatic arthritis and active ankylosing spondylitis in adults. It is also approved for reducing signs and symptoms of Crohn’s disease.