BRIEF—Grünenthal acquires global rights for Qutenza

German family-owned drugmaker Grünenthal has acquired additional global commercial rights for the dermal pain patch Qutenza (8% capsaicin) from USA-based Acorda Therapeutics.

Grünenthal is now the sole owner of Qutenza worldwide, including the USA, Latin America, Asia and Australia.

Grünenthal had already acquired exclusive commercial rights for Europe, the Middle East and Africa in December 2016.

"As a leader in pain research and management, we're dedicated to providing solutions for patients with high unmet medical needs. Qutenza is a perfect strategic fit, as it complements our existing pain portfolio and is a real alternative to the current standard of care," says Gabriel Baertschi, Grünenthal's chief executive.

Grünenthal continues executing its growth strategy and has been expanding its pain portfolio by a series of acquisitions including European rights to Nexium (esomeprazole), the global (ex US and Japan) rights to Vimovo (naproxen and esomeprazole) and global (ex Japan) rights to Zomig (zolmitriptan).

The company has signed deals with a total value of more than US$ 1.3 billion since 2016.