Cumberland Pharma acquires Vaprisol from Astellas

USA-based Cumberland Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: CPIX) says it has acquired from the US subsidiary of Japan’s Astellas Pharma (TYO: 4503) rights to Vaprisol (conivaptan HCl Injection), a patented, prescription brand indicated to raise serum sodium levels in hospitalized patients with hyponatremia.

The product was developed and registered by Astellas and was commercially launched in 2006. It is one of two branded prescription products indicated for the treatment of hyponatremia, an electrolyte disturbance in which sodium ion concentration in blood plasma is lower than normal. This can be associated with a variety of critical care conditions including congestive heart failure, liver failure, kidney failure and pneumonia.

"Hyponatremia has been recently recognized to be a significant electrolyte disturbance associated with both acute and long-term consequences, even in cases that would have been previously been considered mild," said Theresa Human, neuroscience clinical specialist, Barnes-Jewish Hospital-St Louis, Washington University quoted by Cumberland. "It is exciting to have a pharmaceutical company committed to support the education of this underemphasized electrolyte disorder and the therapeutic options available to effectively treat these patients," she added.