Acer Therapeutics is reacquiring worldwide development, commercialization, and economic rights to OLPRUVA™ (sodium phenylbutyrate) from Relief Therapeutics. Under their previous agreement, Relief was entitled to 60% of OLPRUVA™ net profits in certain territories. In exchange for regaining these rights, Relief will receive an upfront payment of $10 million, plus another $1.5 million after one year. Additionally, Acer will pay a 10% royalty on net sales in specified territories and up to $56.5 million to Relief, along with the opportunity to receive a royalty on net sales of OLPRUVA™ in the European Union.
Acer Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: ACER), a pharmaceutical company focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of therapies for serious, rare and life-threatening diseases with significant unmet medical needs, today announced it has entered into definitive agreements to reacquire worldwide development, commercialization and economic rights to OLPRUVA™ (sodium phenylbutyrate) from Relief Therapeutics, excluding the European Union, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Vatican City, Norway, Iceland, Principality of Monaco, Andorra, Gibraltar, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and North Macedonia (Geographical Europe). OLPRUVA™ is approved in the U.S. for the treatment of certain urea cycle disorders (UCDs).
Under the prior Collaboration and License Agreement (CLA) between the parties, Acer would have paid Relief 60% of Acer’s OLPRUVA™ net profits in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Turkey and Japan (the Acer territories), while Acer would have received a 15% royalty on Relief’s net sales in the rest of the world (the Relief territories). Acer and Relief have now agreed to terminate the CLA, where Acer is no longer required to pay Relief 60% of OLPRUVA™ net profits in the Acer territories and have regained all development and commercialization rights in rest of the world, excluding the Geographical Europe. In return, Relief will receive an upfront payment by Acer of $10 million, to be made within 5 business days of the signature date, with an additional payment of $1.5 million due on the first-year anniversary of the $10 million payment. Acer has also agreed to pay a 10% royalty on net sales in the Acer territories, and 20% of any value received by Acer from certain third parties relating to OLPRUVA™ licensing or divestment rights, all of the foregoing which are capped at $45 million, for total payments to Relief of up to $56.5 million. Additionally, Acer and Relief have entered into a new Exclusive License Agreement (ELA) in which Relief will retain development and commercialization rights for OLPRUVA™ in the Geographical Europe, where Acer will have the right to receive a royalty of up to 10% of the net sales of OLPRUVA™.
“Regaining exclusive worldwide rights to OLPRUVA™ without profit sharing, subject only to Relief’s rights in the Geographical Europe, unlocks value for Acer as we continue the U.S. launch of OLPRUVA™ and begin to provide treatments to UCD patients in need,” said Chris Schelling, CEO and Founder of Acer. “Reacquiring greater economic rights to OLPRUVA™ allows Acer to reinvest more capital into potential lifecycle expansion opportunities for OLPRUVA™, in additional inborn errors of metabolism, such as Maple Syrup Urine Disease and other potential indications.”
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“We are very happy to have restructured our collaboration with Acer Therapeutics which we believe will benefit those suffering from UCDs and other potential rare metabolic conditions,” said Jack Weinstein, CEO of Relief Therapeutics. “Our collective goal with Acer is to maximize the global commercialization of OLPRUVA™ to ensure as many patients as possible will access this much needed, differentiated and convenient alternative.”
OLPRUVA™: Now Available by Prescription in U.S.
ACER-001 (sodium phenylbutyrate) was approved for the treatment of certain UCDs in December 2022 and is marketed under the brand name, OLPRUVA™. OLPRUVA™ (sodium phenylbutyrate) for oral suspension is a prescription medicine used along with certain therapy, including changes in diet, for the long-term management of adults and children weighing 44 pounds (20 kg) or greater and with a BSA of 1.2 m2 or greater, with UCDs, involving deficiencies of CPS, OTC, or AS.1 Please see full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information.
Important Safety Information
Certain medicines may increase the level of ammonia in the blood or cause serious side effects when taken during treatment with OLPRUVA™. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you or your child takes, especially if you or your child takes corticosteroids, valproic acid, haloperidol, and/or probenecid.
OLPRUVA™ can cause serious side effects, including: 1) nervous system problems (neurotoxicity) such as, sleepiness, tiredness, lightheadedness, vomiting, nausea, headache, and/or confusion, 2) low potassium levels in your blood (hypokalemia) and 3) conditions related to swelling (edema). OLPRUVA™ contains salt (sodium), which can cause swelling from salt and water retention. Tell your doctor right away if you or your child get any of these symptoms. Your doctor may do certain blood tests to check for side effects during treatment with OLPRUVA. If you have certain medical conditions such as heart, liver or kidney problems, are pregnant/planning to get pregnant or breast-feeding, your doctor will decide if OLPRUVA™ is right for you.
The most common side effects of OLPRUVA™ include absent or irregular menstrual periods, decreased appetite, body odor, bad taste or avoiding foods you ate prior to getting sick (taste aversion). These are not all of the possible side effects of OLPRUVA™. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
For additional Important Safety Information, see full Prescribing Information, Patient Package Insert and discuss with your doctor.
Source: BioSpace
