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Santen Pharmaceutical obtains co-promotion rights for Eylea in Japan
TARRYTOWN, U.S.A. — Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Bayer HealthCare announced that Bayer’s Japanese subsidiary, Bayer Yakuhin, and Santen Pharmaceutical have entered a co-promotion agreement for the Eylea anti-VEGF injection in Japan.
As previously announced, Bayer Yakuhin has submitted an application for marketing authorization to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for Eylea (aflibercept) for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
“With this agreement and upon marketing authorization, a newly formed Bayer Yakuhin ophthalmology field force and Santen, the leading ophthalmology company in Japan, will promote Eylea,” Sebastian Guth, president and CEO of Bayer Yakuhin, said in a press release from the companies. “We expect that the combined resources of the two companies will allow Eylea to achieve a broader and faster reach into the Japanese ophthalmology community and potentially benefit a greater number of patients.”
Eylea, also known as VEGF Trap-Eye, is approved for sale in the U.S. for wet AMD treatment and has marketing approval in Australia. Bayer HealthCare has submitted applications in Europe and other countries and has initiated a phase 3 clinical study for wet AMD in China. In addition, Eylea is in phase 3 clinical studies for the treatment of diabetic macular edema, myopic choroidal neovascularization and branch retinal vein occlusion.
Regeneron maintains exclusive rights for Eylea in the U.S. Bayer HealthCare owns exclusive marketing rights for Eylea outside the U.S., where the companies will equally share profits from any future sales, except in Japan where Regeneron will receive a royalty on net sales, according to the release.