AstraZeneca Sells Global Rights to Two COPD Drugs, Eklira and Duaklir, for $270 Million

Source: PharmaCube Info

Author: Sunshine

On November 1, AstraZeneca announced that it has agreed to transfer the global rights to Eklira (aclidinium bromide) and Duaklir (aclidinium bromide/formoterol) to Covis Pharma for $270 million. Both drugs are used to treat patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Under the agreement, Covis Pharma will pay AstraZeneca $270 million upon completion of the transaction and will assume the subsequent development costs for the drug. The transaction is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Eklira is a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) that was approved for marketing in the European Union and subsequently in the United States in 2012. Duaklir is a combination therapy comprising a LAMA and a long-acting β2-agonist (LABA); it was first approved in the EU in 2014 and received US marketing approval in 2019.

Both drugs are inhaled respiratory medications used for the maintenance treatment of patients with COPD, originally developed by Almirall. In July 2014, AstraZeneca acquired Almirall's respiratory product portfolio for $875 million, which included the two drugs involved in this transaction. In 2020, Eklira and Duaklir generated $143 million in sales revenue.

Previously, in November 2018, Covis Pharma acquired the rights to three respiratory drugs from AstraZeneca: Alvesco (ciclesonide inhalation aerosol), Omnaris (ciclesonide nasal spray), and Zetonna (ciclesonide nasal aerosol), in a transaction valued at over $350 million.