The FINANCIAL — Pfizer Inc. and Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd., an international biopharmaceutical company specializing in the research and development of anti-infective and oncological medicines, on June 14 announced they have entered into an agreement whereby Pfizer will be granted the exclusive commercialization rights in Europe to CRESEMBA (isavuconazole), a novel anti-fungal treatment for adult patients with diagnosed invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis, two serious infections associated with high morbidity and mortality among immunocompromised patients.
Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will have exclusive rights to distribute and commercialize CRESEMBA in Europe, including Austria, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, where it is currently available. These rights do not extend to the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland). In addition, Pfizer will be responsible for additional CRESEMBA launches, predominantly in Europe, which are expected throughout 2017 and 2018. Basilea will remain the marketing authorization holder for the European Union, according to Pfizer.
“The addition of CRESEMBA to Pfizer’s broad anti-fungal portfolio reaffirms our commitment to provide innovative treatments to patients who are increasingly susceptible to life-threatening fungal infections,” said Richard Blackburn, Global President of Pfizer Europe, Africa/Middle East and Biosimilars. “We believe our well established global presence together with our deep knowledge of infectious diseases will enable us to meaningfully address a major unmet medical need.”
“Cresemba is a novel treatment that addresses a critical medical need among patients with invasive mold infections. This is reflected in Cresemba’s performance in both the U.S. and key European markets where it is available,” said Ronald Scott, Chief Executive Officer of Basilea. “Pfizer is a world leading pharmaceutical company in the anti-infective space with a long and successful track record of commercializing antifungals. We believe this collaboration will allow us to further optimize the value of this key asset in an important region of the world.”
Today, Pfizer is a leading global provider of anti-infective medicines, offering patients access to a diverse portfolio of 80 products. Since its pioneering work on penicillin in the 1940s, Pfizer has been actively engaged in the research and development of innovative medicines, policies and educational programs to address the evolving needs of patients and physicians in the area of infectious diseases. In December 2016, Pfizer completed the acquisition of AstraZeneca PLC’s small molecule anti-infective business, which includes both marketed agents and clinical development assets primarily outside the United States.
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