Sanofi US in deal to commercialize PA8140/PA32540

The US subsidiary of French drug major Sanofi (Euronext: SAN) has entered into a deal with US drugmaker Pozen (Nasdaq: POZN) to exclusively license the US firm’s investigational, coordinated-delivery tablets combining immediate-release omeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), and enteric-coated (EC) aspirin in a single tablet (PA), PA8140 and PA32540.

Under the terms of the accord, Sanofi will have exclusive rights to commercialize all PA combinations that contain 32mg or less of enteric-coated aspirin in the USA. Pozen will receive an upfront of $15 million and will be eligible for pre-commercial milestone payments of up to $20 million, as well as other future milestone payments and royalties on product sales.

"Sanofi has a strong heritage and expertise in the cardiovascular space, with Lovenox, Plavix, and most recently Multaq, and the PA products are an important addition to our already strong CV portfolio," said Anne Whitaker, president, North America Pharmaceuticals at Sanofi US, adding: "The PA products have the potential to be an effective solution for the millions of patients at risk for gastric ulcers from chronic aspirin use in the prevention of secondary cardiovascular disease. We look forward to bringing this therapy to patients and health care providers."