Biopharmaceutical company Corium and Taiwan-based Lotus Pharmaceutical have signed an exclusive collaboration and license agreement for Adlarity (donepezil transdermal system) across ten markets in Asia.
Adlarity is an Alzheimer’s dementia treatment which offers non-stop and sustained release of donepezil via the skin using proprietary Corplex technology. It also evades the gastrointestinal tract.
It is already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first and only once-weekly patch to treat mild, moderate, and severe dementia of Alzheimer’s type.
Corium president and CEO Perry Sternberg said: “We are thrilled to be collaborating with the team at Lotus, who share our excitement about Adlarity as a novel way to deliver donepezil.
“This partnership represents an important milestone for Corium in establishing Adlarity as a global brand and helps further our mission to create and deliver novel therapies that provide clinicians with important treatment options for patients, their families, and their caregivers.”
Under the partnership, Lotus will oversee obtaining regulatory approval and will have the sole right to market Adlarity in the applicable country.
According to Corium, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam are all part of the region.
The biopharmaceutical firm will oversee the supply of finished goods to Lotus and will get an upfront payment and regulatory and performance-based milestone payments depending on the net sales of the product.
Lotus CEO Petar Vazharov said: “Today’s announcement highlights our drive and focus on innovation to address unmet medical needs across Asia, and validates our strong pipeline of opportunities.
“With Adlarity, we aim to provide a differentiated level of care that can significantly improve the lives of Alzheimer’s patients in our markets. This product is a strategic fit to our portfolio, affirming our strong capability and presence in CNS.”
Later this year, both companies plan to apply for regulatory approval in a few Asian markets.