April 1st, 2014 InDex Pharmaceuticals and Almirall announced today that they have signed a license agreement for the European marketing rights to the drug candidate Kappaproct. Under the terms of the agreement, InDex is eligible for an upfront payment as well as success driven milestone payments with a total deal value that could exceed EUR100M. InDex is also entitled to receive double digit royalties from Almirall on the European net sales of Kappaproct.
InDex Pharmaceutical’s lead drug candidate Kappaproct is a DNA‐based immunomodulatory sequence (DIMS) that targets the toll‐like receptor 9 (TLR9). Kappaproct is a potential treatment for severe Ulcerative Colitis (UC), a debilitating, chronic inflammation of the large intestine. The results from the ongoing Phase III trial COLLECT are expected in mid‐2014.
“Almirall has extensive sales and marketing experience within the gastrointestinal field in Europe.
Moreover, they have a recent track record of success in launching innovative biotechnology products. Thus, Almirall is a perfect partner for InDex in our mission to bring Kappaproct to the market in Europe” said Jesper Wiklund, CEO of InDex Pharmaceuticals. “Moreover, during the partnering process it became clear that Almirall and InDex share a commitment to collaboration as a means to pursuing ambitious scientific goals. This makes for a strong cultural fit between our two companies, which is a promising starting point for a partnership.“
Eduardo Sanchiz, CEO of Almirall SA added “Kappaproct is in a late stage of development and addresses a major unmet medical need in patients with severe ulcerative colitis. We see a significant commercial potential for this first‐in‐class immunotherapeutic. Kappaproct also fits well with our focused interest in gastrointestinal diseases and our aim to bring innovative medicines to the patients”.
About Kappaproct
Despite today’s drug treatment options, here are ulcerative colitis patients with persistent severe symptoms such as pain and frequent, bloody diarrhea. For these patients, often the only option is to get the colon surgically removed.
Kappaproct is a new type of drug that provides a powerful anti‐inflammatory effect locally in the intestine, which leads to mucosal healing and alleviation of clinical symptoms. Kappaproct also has, in contrast to many other drugs within the field, an excellent safety profile. Efficacy and safety data from completed clinical trials suggest that Kappaproct can give seriously ill patients the opportunity to return to a normal life. A phase III trial is currently underway and results are expected in mid‐2014.
About InDex Pharmaceuticals
InDex Pharmaceuticals develops Kappaproct ‐ a new type of drug that can help patients with severe ulcerative colitis back to a normal life. The results from an ongoing Phase III study are expected in mid‐2014. The company is based in Stockholm. Among the main shareholders are SEB Venture Capital, Industrifonden and NeoMed Managment. For more information, please visit www.indexpharma.com
About Almirall
Almirall is a pharmaceutical company committed to provide valuable medicines through our own R&D efforts, which exceeded 18% on sales in 2013, together with external partnerships, licenses and collaborations. Through seeking innovative medicines we aim to become a relevant player in respiratory and dermatology diseases with also a strong interest in gastroenterology and pain. With more than 3000 employees in 23 countries, Almirall generated total revenues of 825 million euros in 2013.
The company was founded in 1943 and is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain. The stock is traded in the Spanish stock exchange (ticker: ALM).
For more information please visit www.almirall.com
Contact InDex Pharmaceuticals:
Jesper Wiklund, CEO
Tel: +46 8 508 847 35/ +46 (0)733 59 05 53
[email protected]
Media Inquiries InDex:
akampion
Dr. Ludger Wess or Ines‐Regina Buth
Tel.: +49 (0)40 88 16 59 64 / +49 (0)30 2363 2768
[email protected]
Media Inquiries Almirall:
Cohn & Wolfe
Adriana Ibargüen [email protected]
Marta Velasco [email protected]
Tel.: (+34) 91 531 42 67 / (+34) 91 531 50 97
Mobile: (+34) 636 43 83 36
