Date: 2015-04-02
Type of information: Product acquisition
Compound: Nucynta® (tapentadol), Nucynta® ER (tapentadol)
Company: Grunenthal (Germany) Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a J&J company (USA - NJ) Depomed (USA - CA)
Therapeutic area: CNS diseases
Type agreement: product acquisition
Action mechanism:
Disease: management of moderate-to-severe acute pain in adults
Details: * On January 15, 2015, Depomed announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the U.S. rights to the NUCYNTA franchise from Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for $1.05 billion. The Nucynta® franchise includes Nucynta® ER (tapentadol) extended release tablets indicated for the management of pain, including neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment, and Nucynta® (tapentadol), an immediate release version of tapentadol, for management of moderate to severe acute pain in adults. Grünenthal GmbH granted its consent with Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s (JPI) divestment of the license rights for Nucynta® (tapentadol), Nucynta® ER (tapentadol) extended-release tablets and Nucynta® (tapentadol) oral solution in the U.S. territory to Depomed, (DEPO), the company announced. During the transition period, the three companies work closely together for the ongoing support of these drugs. Grünenthal discovered and started the development of tapentadol. Since signing the license agreement in 2003, Grünenthal and Janssen Pharmaceuticals have shared development responsibilities for Nucynta® for acute and chronic pain conditions. Under the terms of the agreement, Depomed, will take full responsibility for marketing and sales and will assume Janssen Pharmaceutical.’s responsibility for the further clinical development of Nucynta® in the U.S. territory, while Janssen Pharmaceuticals will keep the rights for Canada, Japan and a number of other countries outside the United States.
Financial terms:
Latest news: * On March 17, 2015, Depomed announced that the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (HSR Act) has expired with respect to Depomed's pending acquisition of U.S. rights to the Nucynta® franchise from Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The termination of the waiting period under the HSR Act satisfies one of the conditions to the closing of the pending acquisition, which remains subject to completion of Depomed's previously announced financing and other customary closing conditions. * On April 2, 2015, Janssen Pharmaceuticals announced it has completed the divestiture of its U.S. license rights to Nucynta® (tapentadol), Nucynta® ER (tapentadol) extended-release tablets and Nucynta® (tapentadol) oral solution to Depomed for $1.05 billion. Janssen Pharmaceuticals will retain license rights to these products in Canada , Japan , and a number of other countries outside the United States.
