Deals this week: AstraZeneca, Biogen, Midatech Pharma

AstraZeneca has agreed to sell the European commercial rights of its Atacand and Atacand Plus drugs to Cheplapharm Arzneimittel.

Atacand is a medicine indicated for the treatment of heart failure, while Atacand Plus is used to treat high blood pressure.

AstraZeneca will continue to produce and distribute Atacand and Atacand Plus, under the terms of the supply agreement. It will retain all rights to the drugs in other parts of the world except Europe.

Based in the UK, AstraZeneca is a biopharmaceutical company, while Cheplapharm Arzneimittel is a pharmaceutical company based in Germany.

Biogen has completed the acquisition of pre-clinical stage drugs, ALG-801 and ALG-802, from AliveGen USA for $562.5m.

Biogen made the acquisition through an upfront payment of $27.5m. The company will also pay $535m upon achieving certain development and commercialisation milestones.

Based in the US, Biogen is a biotechnology company engaged in the development of therapies for the treatment of neurodegenerative, hematologic and autoimmune diseases, while AliveGen, also based in the US, is a pre-clinical stage biopharmaceutical company.

Midatech Pharma US has signed a co-promotion agreement with Bausch Health Companies to obtain the exclusive rights to promote NeutraSal in the US.

NeutraSal is a prescription drug indicated to treat the symptoms of xerostomia by preventing dryness of the oral mucosa.

Midatech plans to start the promotion of NeutraSal in August 2018.

Based in the US, Midatech Pharma is a developer of pharmaceutical products in the area of oncology, while Bausch Health is a biopharmaceutical and health care company based in Canada.

The agreement enables the two companies to enhance treatment options for patients suffering from the side effects of cancer therapies.

Anima Biotech has partnered with Eli Lilly and Co (Lilly) for the development of translation inhibitors using its translation control therapeutics platform.

Anima will receive $30m in upfront payment and $14m in the form of research financing, as per the agreement.

Based in Israel, Anima Biotech is a provider of translation control therapeutics, while Eli Lilly is a US-based pharmaceutical company engaged in the development of pharmaceutical drugs.

The deal enables the two companies to develop translation inhibitors for target proteins.

Mayne Pharma has acquired anti-cancer chemotherapy drug Efudex from Spear Pharmaceuticals for $20m.

Spear Pharmaceuticals will receive $16m in cash and $4m in milestone payments, as part of the transaction.

Efudex is an antineoplastic topical cream indicated for the treatment of basal cell cancer of the skin and actinic keratoses, which is a pre-cancerous skin condition.

Based in Australia, Mayne Pharma is specialised in the development and manufacture of oral pharmaceuticals, while Spear Pharmaceuticals is a US-based specialist dermatology firm.

The transaction enables Mayne Pharma to strengthen its position in the US dermatology market.

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