Mundipharma acquires rights for Invossa osteoarthritis therapy in Japan

Mundipharma has signed a multi-year agreement for up to $600m with Kolon Life Sciences to secure the exclusive rights for Invossa osteoarthritis therapy in Japan.

The agreement requires Mundipharma to develop, market and distribute Invossa to medical professionals and hospitals in the country.

Invossa is a non-surgical cell-mediated gene therapy for knee osteoarthritis, which is administered through a single intra-articular injection.

It is estimated that more than 31 million Japanese people could be suffering from knee osteoarthritis.A study found that 42.6% of men aged over 40 are affected by the disease, while the corresponding figure in women is said to be around 62.4%.

The risk of osteoarthritis increases with age. Japan has the oldest population in the world, with a significant percentage of its population being above 65 years of age.

Mundipharma and Kolon Life Sciences intend to tap this potential in the country and meet the demand through their partnership.

Mundipharma CEO Raman Singh said: "While we will go through the rigorous process of conducting clinical trials and getting Invossa registered in Japan, it is very satisfying to think of the millions of patients who could benefit from this revolutionary medicine in the near future following this agreement.

"This is a prime example of how our partners can effectively leverage the strength of our network capability and experience to ensure that hospitals, GPs and patients have access to new breakthrough treatments such as Invossa."

A US phase II clinical trial indicated that patients can experience sustained pain reduction and functional improvement of articular joint for one year after taking a single Invossa injection.

The partnership in Japan builds on the companies’ previous agreement for Invossa in Korea.In July this year, the US FDA approved the phase III trials for Invossa.