Novartis to Complete Work on RSV Drug

Under the terms of a recently announced agreement, Novartis AG (Basel, Switzerland) will undertake most of the further development and all commercialization of a compound developed by Arrow Therapeutics (London, UK) for the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

RSV is a particular threat to the young, the elderly, and those who are immuno-compromised. At present, there is no effective treatment. RSV is the cause of one-fifth of all lower respiratory tract infections worldwide. The only widely used intervention is Synagis, a monoclonal antibody developed by MedImmune (Gaithersburg, MD, USA), used to prevent infection in high-risk infants. As such it is only effective when given prior to infection.

Under the terms of the new agreement, Arrow will receive an upfront payment from Novartis of U.S.$10 million, in addition to milestone payments of up to $217 million for success in the ongoing and future development and commercialization of the Arrow compound known as A-60444. Novartis will also pay Arrow royalties on product sales. The compound is currently in phase II clinical trials.

The main patient groups for the compound are infants under the age of two, elderly adults, adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and congestive heart failure, and immuno-compromised adults.

"A-60444 is a first-in-class product for the treatment of RSV,” noted Ken Powell, CEO of Arrow Therapeutics. "This is an area of high unmet need, and one which is gaining increasing recognition of its importance by the medical community. For Arrow in particular, the deal with Novartis is a validation of both our model and our R&D capability and I am very satisfied with the outcome.”





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