Alembic signs licensing agreement with UCB
Alembic today said it has signed $11 million licensing agreement with Belgium-based UCB for anti-epileptic drug Keppra.
By PTI |
MUMBAI: Pharma company Alembic today said it has signed $11 million licensing agreement with Belgium-based UCB for anti-epileptic drug Keppra.
In addition to the $11 million, Alembic would continue to receive royalty payments, Alembic Business Development Head Pranav Amin told reporters.
"The royalty would be a single digit percentage figure," he said.
The payment of $11 million would be spread over three years. The first payment would come this year, Amin said.
The drug, Keppra, in 2006 recorded a sales of $1 billion globally.
Vadodara-based Alembic has made modifications to Keppra through its Novel Drug Delivery System (NDDS).
Explaining NDDS, Alembic Chairman & Managing Director Chirayu R Amin said modifying a drug through NDDS helps a patient.
"For example, if patient needs to take a drug twice a day. Modifying through NDDS would help the patient in taking the drug once a day," he said.
"A drug modified through NDDS would be released slowly in the body over a longer period of time, thereby helping a patient to take only one tablet instead of two," Amin said.
NDDS is a patented technology of Alembic. This is the first NDDS deal of Alembic.
"We are in talks for 4-5 more such deals through NDDS," he added.
UCB would launch Keppra in 2009 in the US, Amin said.
For this fiscal, the company has earmarked Rs 50 crore as capital expenditure, he said.
In addition to the $11 million, Alembic would continue to receive royalty payments, Alembic Business Development Head Pranav Amin told reporters.
"The royalty would be a single digit percentage figure," he said.
The payment of $11 million would be spread over three years. The first payment would come this year, Amin said.
The drug, Keppra, in 2006 recorded a sales of $1 billion globally.
Vadodara-based Alembic has made modifications to Keppra through its Novel Drug Delivery System (NDDS).
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Explaining NDDS, Alembic Chairman & Managing Director Chirayu R Amin said modifying a drug through NDDS helps a patient.
"For example, if patient needs to take a drug twice a day. Modifying through NDDS would help the patient in taking the drug once a day," he said.
"A drug modified through NDDS would be released slowly in the body over a longer period of time, thereby helping a patient to take only one tablet instead of two," Amin said.
NDDS is a patented technology of Alembic. This is the first NDDS deal of Alembic.
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"We are in talks for 4-5 more such deals through NDDS," he added.
UCB would launch Keppra in 2009 in the US, Amin said.
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For this fiscal, the company has earmarked Rs 50 crore as capital expenditure, he said.
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