If there is one thing about human beings that stands out the most, it’s the way we pursue progression under all circumstances. You see, when you try to get better on a rather consistent basis, you end up giving yourself a pretty solid chance at some notable milestones. Staying with these milestones for a second, we have actually hit upon plenty of them throughout our history, but in all honesty, we are still waiting to see a bigger one than technology. Technology stays a cut above others duo to many reasons. While the creation’s ingenious skill-set is certainly the chief headline here, we can’t be having this conversation without mentioning its reach. Designed to cater different needs, technology had enormous success in impacting our entire spectrum, including the highly-critical area of healthcare. In fact, the famous medtech linkup was so pivotal that it transformed our very outlook towards the sector, and in case the stated change wasn’t enough, we have continued to build further upon this foundation so to enhance our journey even more as we move ahead. Interestingly enough, Regeneron’s latest move does a lot to keep that trend alive.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is officially taking full control of its main cancer drug candidate, and to make it happen, it will cough up a whopping $900 million. Meant to particularly treat lung and skin cancer, the drug, Libtayo, has so far been co-marketed by Regeneron and Sanofi. However, with Libtayo poised for regulatory green light in multiple markets, the former would seemingly like to get hold of the entire revenue pie. Talk about the arrangement so far, the partnership agreement, which was struck back in 2015, had seen Sanofi fulfilling commercialization responsibilities outside of US, and that translated to an equal split in global profits. Notably, Sanofi will be moving on from this agreement for much than just the touted $900 million figure. According to certain reports, the company can also expect an 11% royalty on worldwide sales, along with further milestone payments. The first $100 million of these milestone payments will depend largely on Libtayo bagging regulatory approval in US or Europe for a new application that will link-up the drug with chemotherapy for the purpose of treating patients suffering from non-small cell lung cancer. The remaining milestone payments revolve at length around the drug’s sales.
“This strategic acquisition is a major step towards Regeneron’s goal of becoming a global oncology leader, centered on Libtayo as an important choice in settings where PD-1 inhibitors can be used as monotherapy and, excitingly, in potential new combinations with our differentiated and diverse pipeline of oncology assets,” said Leonard Schleifer, CEO of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
