GSK and Millennium sign Integrilin accord

UK drug major GlaxoSmithKline and USA-based Millennium Pharmaceuticalssay they have entered into an agreement under which the former which exclusively market the latter's blood-clotting agent Integrilin (eptifibatide) in Europe. In return, Millennium will be entitled to license fees, milestones and royalty payments based on sales of the drug in this region. No specific financial terms of the accord were disclosed.

GSK will begin actively commercializing Integrilin upon the approved transfer of marketing authorizations, which is expected to complete by December this year. Millennium recently acquired the rights to market the product in Europe from its partner Schering-Plough, and the latter will continue to promote it in this territory until the transfer is complete. S-P will still co-promote Integrilin with Millennium in the USA and sell the product in all other markets outside Europe, and continue to pay Millennium royalties based on Integrilin sales outside of the USA and Europe.

Integrilin is a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor launched in the USA in 1998 and in Europe in 1999 for the treatment of acute coronary syndrome (Marketletters passim).