Helsinn, the Swiss pharmaceutical group, and Eisai Inc., the US pharmaceutical subsidiary of the research-based human healthcare company Eisai Co., Ltd , have revised their agreement for their chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) franchise.

Under the new arrangement, Helsinn Therapeutics Inc., the US affiliate of Helsinn, will obtain exclusive rights to promote and sell Akynzeo (netupitant/palonosetron), its oral fixed dose combination product for the prevention of CINV. Akynzeo had previously been co-promoted in the US by both Helsinn and Eisai. As part of the revised agreement, Eisai and Helsinn will continue to co-promote Aloxi (palonosetron HCl) injection in the US for CINV. CINV is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy.

Akynzeo is an oral fixed combination of palonosetron and netupitant: palonosetron prevents nausea and vomiting during the acute phase and netupitant prevents nausea and vomiting during both the acute and delayed phase after cancer chemotherapy.

Akynzeo targets two critical signaling pathways associated with CINV by combining netupitant, an NK1 receptor antagonist, and palonosetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, in a single capsule for the prevention of CINV. Akynzeo is approved and is marketed in both the US and Europe.

Source: Eisai