Under the new arrangement, Helsinn Therapeutics Inc., the U.S. affiliate of Helsinn, will obtain exclusive rights to promote and sell AKYNZEO (netupitant/palonosetron), its oral fixed dose combination product for the prevention of CINV. AKYNZEO had previously been co-promoted in the U.S. by both Helsinn and Eisai.
As part of the revised agreement, Eisai and Helsinn will continue to co-promote ALOXI (palonosetron HCl) injection in the U.S. for CINV. CINV is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy.
"The acquisition of exclusive rights to AKYNZEO is an important milestone for Helsinn as it marks our commercial expansion in the U.S.," said Riccardo Braglia, Helsinn Group Vice Chairman and CEO.
"We are excited to have this unique opportunity with AKYNZEO while still maintaining our long-standing partnership with Eisai for ALOXI."
"This revised arrangement will enable Eisai to focus on ALOXI and our growing oncology franchise," said Shaji Procida, President and Chief Operating Officer, Eisai Inc.
"We are proud of our past collaboration with Helsinn and are pleased to continue to partner on making ALOXI available to the oncology community."
About AKYNZEO (netupitant/palonosetron)
AKYNZEO is indicated for the prevention of acute and delayed nausea and vomiting associated with initial and repeat courses of cancer chemotherapy, including, but not limited to, highly emetogenic chemotherapy.
AKYNZEO is an oral fixed combination of palonosetron and netupitant: palonosetron prevents nausea and vomiting during the acute phase and netupitant prevents nausea and vomiting during both the acute and delayed phase after cancer chemotherapy.
AKYNZEO targets two critical signaling pathways associated with CINV by combining netupitant, an NK1 receptor antagonist, and palonosetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, in a single capsule for the prevention of CINV. AKYNZEO has now been approved and is marketed in both the US and Europe and more recently it has been included as a treatment option in the ASCO, NCCN and recently also in the MASCC/ESMO antiemetic guidelines.