BRIEF—Fortress takes on dotinurad in USA and Europe

Fortress Biotech is to make an upfront payment to Fuji Yakuhin for rights to develop and commercialize dotinurad.

The URAT1 inhibitor was approved to treat gout and hyperuricemia in Japan in 2020, and Fortress will likely use Phase III data from the Japanese program to aid further development.

Fuji is also eligible to receive development and commercial milestones plus royalty payments for sales in North America and in European countries.

Hyperuricemia has also been implicated in the progression of chronic kidney disease and heart failure, and Fortress believes the drug could play a role in treating these conditions.

Chief executive Lindsay Rosenwald said: “We are excited to work with Fuji to develop dotinurad for the treatment of gout and possibly other indications, and look forward to the opportunity to deliver potential best-in-class medicines to patients in need.”