Pharmaceutical Business review

Titan to grant European marketing rights of Probuphine to Molteni

Titan and Molteni, a European-based pharmaceutical company focused on treatments for pain and drug addiction, expect to enter into the definitive license and distribution agreement during the first quarter of 2018.

The binding term sheet provides that Molteni will pay Titan an upfront, non-refundable license fee of €2.0 million upon execution of the license and distribution agreement, plus potential additional regulatory milestone payments totaling €4.0 million, and tiered royalties on net sales of Probuphine ranging in percentage from the low-teens to the mid-twenties.

Molteni will have the right, exercisable on or prior to June 30, 2019, to expand the territory to include one or both of the following groups: one, the Middle East and North Africa and two, the Commonwealth of Independent States (comprised of 11 former Soviet Republics), upon the payment to Titan of €1.0 million per group.

"We believe this partnership with Molteni offers an opportunity to significantly expand the commercialization of Probuphine beyond the United States, and also to provide Titan with additional financial resources to further advance our pipeline of other ProNeura-based product candidates," said Titan President and CEO Sunil Bhonsle.

"Molteni's strong track record of success launching and commercializing innovative new pharmaceutical products in Europe, combined with its focus on the pain and drug addiction markets, makes it an ideal partner for Titan as we work to increase Probuphine's global uptake."

On November 27, 2017, Titan announced that the European Medicines Agency had accepted for review its Marketing Authorization Application seeking approval of a Probuphine label that will permit the marketing of the product for use in a broad population of opioid use disorder patients, starting with initial treatment and continuing through maintenance treatment. Molteni has the option to terminate the license and distribution agreement if the broad label is not approved by the EMA.