Eusa Pharma acquires rights to new leukaemia drug

Eusa Pharma has acquired the exclusive global rights to a new therapy option for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) from Alize Pharma.

An upfront fee, regulatory milestone payments and royalties on future product sales will be paid to Alize in exchange for worldwide development and commercialisation rights to Asparec, a recombinant, pegylated Erwinia chrysanthemi-derived asparaginase treatment.

The product has been granted orphan drug status by regulators in the EU and US, and is currently in phase I development for ALL patients with hypersensitivity to standard-of-care E. coli-derived asparaginase therapy.

It is thought that the new drug can offer a longer-acting performance and less immunogenicity than currently available treatments, while complementing Eusa's existing ALL product portfolio.

Bryan Morton, president and chief executive officer of Eusa Pharma, said: "This agreement follows the approval last year of Eusa's first internally developed product and further underlines the company's strategic transition into a fully-fledged development as well as commercialisation organisation."

Eusa's ALL treatment Erwinaze was ratified by the US Food and Drug Administration in November 2011, based on positive data from clinical studies.