Chugai unit seals deal for Helsinn’s anamorelin in top EU markets

Privately-held Swiss pharmaceutical group Helsinn has granted Chugai Pharma Marketing, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chugai Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4519), itself a majority-owned unit of Swiss drug major Roche (ROG: SIX), exclusive commercialization rights to its innovative ghrelin receptor agonist, anamorelin, for the three major European pharma markets.

Financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed. Anamorelin is a new first-in-class, oral, once daily drug, currently in Phase III testing for the treatment of anorexia-cachexia in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a detrimental multifactorial disorder that affects over 50% of people with cancer.

Phase II trials have highlighted how anamorelin can improve appetite, increase lean body mass and have a positive impact on the quality of life of patients with cancer suffering from anorexia-cachexia. A good safety and tolerability profile was also shown. Phase II data have recently been presented at the ECCO/ESMO 2013 meeting in Amsterdam, while the Phase III clinical trial program (ROMANA 1, 2 & 3) that started in third-quarter 2011 is proceeding as expected.