Photocure signs agreement with Salix Pharmaceuticals for Lumacan

21-Oct-2010 - Norway

Photocure announced it has signed a strategic global agreement with Salix Pharmaceuticals Inc. for the development and commercialisation of Lumacan. Lumacan is a photodynamic colorectal diagnostic intended to significantly improve the detection of precancerous and cancerous lesions in the colon through fluorescence diagnosis.

Under the agreement, Salix will obtain an exclusive worldwide license to Lumacan excluding the Nordic region. Photocure will receive a signing fee of US$4 million and is entitled to receive additional milestone payments totalling up to US$126.5 million, if certain conditions are satisfied. The milestones relate to development, regulatory events and sales achievement. In addition to the milestones, Salix will pay Photocure tiered double digit royalties on net sales and pay a percentage of all Salix sublicense revenue worldwide outside of the US. Salix will control and cover development, registration and commercialisation costs for Lumacan worldwide, with Photocure covering certain costs of formulation development up to US$3 million.

Photocure has retained the rights to market and sell Lumacan in the Nordic countries. In addition to the development of Lumacan for colorectal cancer, Salix has the exclusive right to explore and develop products for additional indications involving the diagnosis of gastrointestinal dysplasia and cancer. Payments for products in respect of any such additional indications will be negotiated if and when new product development is initiated.

Colon cancer is traditionally diagnosed through colonoscopies (visual examination) with white light. It is increasingly being recognized that standard white-light colonoscopy has limitations in the detection of colon cancer. Earlier studies undertaken by Photocure have demonstrated an increased detection rate of nearly 40% when Lumacan-colonoscopy diagnostic was used. Lumacan is currently in Phase I/II trials.

Photocure and Salix believe earlier detection and diagnosis of precancerous and cancerous lesions in the colon could ultimately lead to better targeted therapeutic care and increased colorectal cancer survival rates in patients. Lumacan is being developed for use in conjunction with standard white light colonoscopy diagnosis. Annually, approximately 14 million colonoscopies are performed in US. Lumacan will target high risk screening patients and diagnostic patients in follow-up of colon cancer. Collectively, these subgroups are estimated to be approximately 20% of total colonoscopies undertaken.

https://www.bionity.com/en/news/124859/photocure-signs-agreement-with-salix-pharmaceuticals-for-lumacan.html