Sun Pharma, Chinese firm CMS to develop eye, arthritis drug

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with a subsidiary of Chinese pharma major China Medical System Holdings (CMS) to develop and commercialise Cyclosporine A 0.09 per cent eye drops and Tildrakizumab a medication for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in Greater China.

According to the terms of the exclusive licensing agreement signed between Sun Pharma and wholly-owned subsidiary of CMS, Sun Pharma will receive an initial upfront payment, followed by regulatory and sales milestone payments and royalties on net sales. But the detail about the same are held confidential. On the other hand, CMS will be responsible for development, regulatory filings and commercialisation of these products in China. The initial tenure of the deal is expected to be 15 years from the beginning of commercial sale of Cyclosporine A in Greater China, which may be extended for additional 3 years. The Greater China region includes Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

Cyclosporine A 0.09% ophthalmic solution (CsA) is a novel proprietary, patented nanomicellar formulation indicated for the treatment of dry eye disease, which a high unmet medical need. Sun Pharma can extend its global ophthalmology franchise through this agreement.

Tildrakizumab is part of Sun Pharma's dermatology franchise. Tildrakizumab-asmn is a humanized lgG1/k monoclonal antibody which can inhibit the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. The drug was approved by USFDA in March 2018 and is being marketed in the US under the Ilumyatm brand name. It is prescribed for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis for patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.

On Thursday, the stock of Sun Pharma closed in green at Rs. 402.80 per share, up by 0.88 per cent on BSE.