Acerus expands its urology franchise

Canada’s Acerus Pharmaceuticals (TSX: ASP) has entered into an exclusive distributor and license agreement with USA-based Metuchen Pharmaceuticals, a privately-held specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving men’s health, granting Acerus the exclusive rights to commercialize Stendra (avanafil) in Canada.

Stendra is a new chemical entity targeting the large and growing erectile dysfunction (ED) market. If approved, Stendra, which is already cleared for marketing in the USA, will be one of only two branded PDE5 Inhibitors in Canada.

According to the Canadian Study of Erectile Dysfunction, around 49% of men over 40 suffer from ED, a condition affecting their physical and psychosocial well-being and quality of life. Contemporary treatment focuses on highly-effective, minimally invasive therapies, the most common of which is the PDE5 Inhibitor. The size of the ED market in Canada is estimated at $225 million as of June 2017.