REG - AstraZeneca PLC - AstraZeneca divests rights to Arimidex and Casodex

AstraZenecaAnnouncement

20/12/2019 07:05

RNS Number : 6170X
AstraZeneca PLC
20 December 2019
 


20 December 2019 07:00 GMT
 
AstraZeneca divests rights to Arimidex and Casodex
in Europe and certain additional countries
 
Sale to Juvisé Pharmaceuticals supports AstraZeneca's strategy
of focusing on pipeline of new medicines 
 
AstraZeneca today announced that it has agreed to sell the commercial rights to Arimidex (anastrozole) and Casodex (bicalutamide) in a number of European, African and other countries1 to Juvisé Pharmaceuticals.
 
The medicines, used primarily to treat breast and prostate cancers, have lost their compound patent protection in these countries. AstraZeneca already divested the rights to both Arimidex and Casodex in the US in 2017.
 
Dave Fredrickson, Executive Vice President, Oncology Business Unit, said: "Arimidex and Casodex are important established medicines and we are pleased that Juvisé Pharmaceuticals will now take on the work of making sure patients continue to have access to them. Today's agreement is part of a broader strategy of reducing our portfolio of mature medicines to reallocate resources towards developing our pipeline of new medicines."
 
Financial considerations
As there were no closing conditions to the divestment, the agreement became effective upon signing. Juvisé Pharmaceuticals has made an upfront payment of $181m to AstraZeneca and may also make future sales-contingent payments of up to $17m. Income arising from the upfront payment will be reported in AstraZeneca's financial statements in the fourth quarter of 2019. Income from the upfront and any future payments will be reported within Other Operating Income & Expense. In 2018, Arimidex had sales of $37m in the countries covered by this agreement, while Casodex had sales of $24m. The divestment does not change the Company's financial guidance for 2019.
 
About Arimidex
Arimidex (anastrozole) is an aromatase inhibitor, indicated primarily for the adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer, the first-line treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive or hormone receptor-unknown locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer and the treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women with disease progression, following tamoxifen therapy.
 
About Casodex
Casodex (bicalutamide) is an androgen-receptor inhibitor, indicated for use in combination therapy with a luteinising hormone-releasing hormone analogue for the treatment of Stage D2 metastatic carcinoma of the prostate.
 
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/NYSE: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas - Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, and Respiratory. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on Twitter @AstraZeneca.
 




Media Relations


 


 




Gonzalo Viña


 


+44 203 749 5916




Rob Skelding


Oncology


+44 203 749 5821




Rebecca Einhorn


Oncology


+1 301 518 4122




Matt Kent


BioPharmaceuticals


+44 203 749 5906




Jennifer Hursit


Other


+44 203 749 5762




Christina Malmberg Hägerstrand


Sweden


+46 8 552 53 106




Michele Meixell


US


+1 302 885 2677




 


 


 




Investor Relations


 


 




Thomas Kudsk Larsen


 


+44 203 749 5712




Henry Wheeler


Oncology


+44 203 749 5797




Christer Gruvris


BioPharmaceuticals (Cardiovascular, Metabolism)


+44 203 749 5711




Nick Stone


BioPharmaceuticals (Renal) Environmental, Social and Governance


+44 203 749 5716




Josie Afolabi


BioPharmaceuticals (Respiratory)
Other medicines


+44 203 749 5631




Craig Marks


Finance
Fixed income


+44 7881 615 764




Jennifer Kretzmann


Corporate access
Retail investors


+44 203 749 5824




US toll-free


 


+1 866 381 72 77




 
References
1.   For Arimidex and Casodex: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, France exports2, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Algeria, Morocco, Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkey, and French-speaking Africa (Ivory Coast, Benin, Gabon, Niger, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad, Burundi, Cameroon, Guinea, Senegal, Central African Republic, Togo, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo and Madagascar). Additionally, for Arimidex: Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland and Portugal.
2.   France exports are sales made in France, under the French entity of AstraZeneca, for export to French DOM-TOMs (Départements d'outre-mer, Territoires d'outre-mer): DOM-TOMs are either 'overseas collectives' (administrative divisions of France) or 'overseas departments' (officially part of France), and include: French Guyana, French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, Mayotte, Martinique, New Caledonia, La Reunion, Saint-Barthelemy, Saint-Martin, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and Wallis-et-Futuna.
 
 
 
Adrian Kemp
Company Secretary
AstraZeneca PLC




This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.
 
END
 
 
MSCQBLBLKLFXFBF