AstraZeneca and Map Pharmaceu

RNS Number : 4909K

AstraZeneca PLC

19 December 2008

 



ASTRAZENECA AND MAP PHARMACEUTICALS ANNOUNCE WORLDWIDE COLLABORATION TO DEVELOP AND COMMERCIALISE UNIT DOSE BUDESONIDE

AstraZeneca and MAP Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today an exclusive worldwide agreement to develop and commercialise Unit Dose Budesonide (UDB), MAP Pharmaceuticals' proprietary nebulised formulation of budesonide. UDB is being developed by MAP Pharmaceuticals as a potential treatment for paediatric asthma and is currently in Phase III clinical development. UDB has the potential to be nebulised more quickly and at a lower nominal dose than the commercially available product.

Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca will pay MAP Pharmaceuticals an upfront cash payment of $40 million and an additional $35 million upon the successful achievement of primary endpoint and safety results in the currently ongoing Phase III clinical study. In addition, upon the occurrence of certain events and conditions, MAP Pharmaceuticals is eligible to receive up to $240 million in other potential development and regulatory milestones.  The Agreement also provides for additional progressively demanding sales performance-related milestone payments of up to $585 million in the event the product is a considerable commercial success. This agreement is subject to review by the United States Government under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act and becomes effective after the expiration or earlier termination of the waiting period (or any extension thereof).

AstraZeneca also will support and fund the establishment of a MAP Pharmaceuticals sales force to co-promote UDB in the United States for a certain period of time after product launch. MAP Pharmaceuticals is also eligible to receive significant double-digit royalty payments on net sales of UDB worldwide. 

MAP Pharmaceuticals and AstraZeneca will develop UDB in the United States and AstraZeneca has rights to develop and commercialise UDB outside of the United States. Under the agreement, AstraZeneca will be responsible for future UDB development costs and AstraZeneca will reimburse MAP Pharmaceuticals for the costs of future UDB development activities with respect to United States registration incurred by MAP Pharmaceuticals.

David Brennan, Chief Executive Officer of AstraZeneca said, 'MAP Pharmaceuticals' advancement in Unit Dose Budesonide represents an important potential new option for treating children confronting asthma.  AstraZeneca's heritage in treating paediatric asthma, combined with MAP Pharmaceuticals' expertise can open new areas of opportunity for both companies and has the potential to bring significant medical benefit to the wider community.'

'AstraZeneca is an ideal partner for UDB given their extensive expertise in developing and commercialising respiratory therapies, including for paediatric asthma,' said Timothy S. Nelson, President and Chief Executive Officer of MAP Pharmaceuticals. 'We recognise AstraZeneca's leadership position in this therapeutic area and their potential to help MAP Pharmaceuticals achieve its key objective of reaching the broadest set of children who suffer from asthma. This relationship represents an important step in the evolution of our company, as we leverage our partner's significant expertise and resources to help us build a commercial infrastructure for subsequent product launches. In addition, this transaction greatly strengthens our balance sheet and provides us with additional financial resources moving forward.'

UDB is being developed utilising a license to Elan's proprietary NanoCrystal® Technology.  The small size and stability of NanoCrystal® drug particles are designed to enable improved delivery efficiency of drug formulations to the lung via nebulisation.

About UDB 

UDB is being studied as a novel version of nebulised budesonide. Budesonide has been used clinically for more than 20 years. UDB is designed to be nebulised more quickly at a lower nominal dose than the commercially available product. MAP Pharmaceuticals has completed enrolment and randomised approximately 360 patients in a Phase III clinical trial to evaluate UDB for the potential treatment of paediatric asthma. The last patient in this trial is expected to complete the 12-week treatment period by the end of 2008. The safety data generated to date has shown UDB to be well tolerated with no significant adverse events.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in research, development, manufacturing and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and supplier for healthcare services. AstraZeneca is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of US $29.55 billion and is a leader in gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory, oncology and infection product sales. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index. For more information visit www.astrazeneca.com

About MAP Pharmaceuticals 

MAP Pharmaceuticals, Inc. develops and plans to commercialise new therapies for children and adults who suffer from chronic conditions that it believes are not adequately treated by currently available medicines. The company applies its proprietary inhalation technologies to enhance the therapeutic benefits and commercial attractiveness of proven drugs while minimising risk by capitalising on their known safety, efficacy and commercialization history. MAP Pharmaceuticals has two drug candidates in Phase III clinical trials. Unit Dose Budesonide is being developed for the potential treatment of paediatric asthma, and MAP0004 is being developed for the potential treatment of migraine. MAP Pharmaceuticals' pipeline also includes a drug candidate in early clinical development for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Additional information about MAP Pharmaceuticals can be found at http://www.mappharma.com.

ASTRAZENECA CONTACTS

Media Enquiries UK:
Chris Sampson	[phone] (24 hours)
Neil McCrae	[phone] (24 hours)
Sarah Lindgreen	[phone] (24 hours)
Media Enquiries US:
Emily Denney	[phone]	mob: [phone]
Investor Enquiries UK:
Jonathan Hunt	[phone]	mob: [phone]
Mina Blair	[phone]	mob: [phone]
Karl Hard	[phone]	mob: [phone]
Investor Enquiries US:
Ed Seage	[phone]	mob: [phone]
Jorgen Winroth	[phone]	mob: [phone]
Peter Vozzo (MedImmune)	[phone]	mob: [phone]

MAP PHARMACEUTICALS CONTACTS

Christopher Y. Chai

CFO, MAP Pharmaceuticals

[phone]

Daryl Messinger

WeissComm Partners

[phone] 

[e-mail]

19 December 2009

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