Novartis and Amgen have expanded a commercialization agreement they formed in September 2015 for Amgen’s erenumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody in development for preventing migraine. Under the expanded agreement, Novartis and Amgen will co-commercialize erenumab in the US, and Novartis will retain exclusive rights to commercialize the drug in rest of world as well as gain commercialization rights in Canada. Amgen retains exclusive commercialization rights in Japan. The companies will continue global co-development.

Under the agreement, Amgen will receive milestone payments from Novartis, expected to begin in 2017. Novartis will share US commercialization costs with Amgen, which will book sales of erenumab in the US and will pay a royalty to Novartis on net sales in the US. Novartis will book sales in rest of the world, excluding Japan, and will pay Amgen royalties on the net sales in those countries. Amgen will book sales in Japan, since it will remain an exclusive territory for the company. Novartis will assume agreed-upon remaining global development costs up to a cap and share global development costs thereafter.

Erenumab is specifically designed to target and block the calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor, believed to play a role in mediating the pain of migraine, according to Amgen. Amgen anticipates filing regulatory submissions for erenumab in 2017.

Source: Novartis and Amgen