UK-headquartered Clinigen announced the divestment of global rights for four of its cancer therapies from its portfolio, as per a 10 August press release.
The company gave away the rights of Cardioxane, Savene, Totect and Ethyol (amifostine), as Clinigen shifts its pharmaceutical strategy. The first three drugs use dexrazoxane to treat cardiotoxicity caused by cancer drugs while Ethyol is used to correct the effects of cancer treatment with cisplatin or radiation.
Clinigen announced that the four drugs will join CNX Therapeutics’ pharmaceutical portfolio. Based in the UK, CNX Therapeutics commercialises and distributes pharmaceuticals in 40 countries globally. According to its website, the biotech is “seeking to expand its product portfolio in Europe and selected global markets.”
This action follows Clinigen’s January 2023 sale of its kidney cancer treatment Proleukin (aldesleukin) to Iovance Biotherapeutics. This deal included an upfront payment of £166.7m ($211.8m), a milestone-based payment of £41.7m ($53m) upon first approval of lifileucel in advanced melanoma, and double-digit Proleukin global sales royalties from Iovance to Clinigen. Proleukin uses interleukin-2 to induce T cell-mediated tumour regression in advanced melanoma. CNX is developing lifileucel as a cell therapy for various cancers. The US Food and Drug Administration accepted a biologics licence application (BLA) for lifileucel in May 2023.
In a press release, Clinigen CEO Jerome Charton said: “These medicines have been integral to Clinigen, but as we refocus our efforts, it is crucial to align our offerings with our core strategy and I’m delighted that CNX Therapeutics will be acquiring these brands.”
Clinigen’s recent divestments follow others to strengthen its existing capabilities. Last year, the company acquired Drug Safety Navigator to improve its pharmacovigilance capabilities. It also expanded its US site due to reported growth in demand for its clinical supplies management services. This included the opening of new satellite sites in North Dakota and Pennsylvania.
This year, Clinigen also sold its innovative contract development business Lamda Laboratories to Germany-based Adragos Pharma. Before this divestment, Lamda acted as Clinigen’s sole development centre.