Takeda out-licenses Edarbi and Edarbyclor

Japan’s largest drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4502) has entered into a license, development and commercialization agreement with US privately-held Arbor Pharmaceuticals, to provide Arbor with exclusive rights to market and sell Edarbi (azilsartan medoxomil) and Edarbyclor (azilsartan medoxomil and chlorthalidone) in the US market effective September 12, 2013.

Edarbi was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2011 to treat hypertension (The Pharma Letter February 28), and Edarbyclor gained clearance later that year (TPL December 21, 2011. Edarbi, which is also cleared for marketing in Europe, was launched in the USA by Takeda in April 2011.

Under the terms of the agreement, Arbor will have exclusive rights to promote and sell Edarbi and Edarbyclor in the USA. In return, Takeda will receive an upfront payment along with a series of future milestone and royalty payments based upon sales of the Edarbi family of products. Further financial terms of the deal were not revealed.