Par to commercialize Immtech’s pneumonia treatment in the US

In a press release regarding the agreement, Immtech said that the companies may also collaborate on efforts to develop pafuramidine as a preventative therapy for patients at risk of developing pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), including people living with HIV, cancer and other immunosuppressive conditions.

Immtech has received an initial payment of $3 million from Par and will be paid an additional $29 million as pafuramidine advances through ongoing phase III clinical trials and US regulatory review and approval. Immtech will retain the right to co-market pafuramidine in the US and will also receive royalties from the treatment.

In addition, Immtech said that it could receive up to $115 million additional payments based on sales milestones of the drug to treat PCP, a deadly fungal infection in the lungs and the most common opportunistic infection in people living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Daniel Schmitt, vice president of licensing and commercial development at Immtech, said: “There is a strong fit between Par’s commercial, marketing, and sales capabilities, and pafuramidine’s potential to make a sustainable difference in treating this deadly disease. Ultimately, patients will benefit from our collaboration.”

Eric Sorkin, CEO and chairman of Immtech, added: “As a global health challenge, PCP represents a significant unmet need where a new and effective option for both treatment and prevention could have a major positive impact on at-risk populations around the world.”