Vifor Pharma has purchased the rights to a treatment for orphan and rare renal diseases. | Courtesy of Shutterstock
+ Technology/Innovation
Amanda Rupp | May 25, 2016

Vifor Pharma buys rights to rare renal disease treatment

Vifor Pharma, a branch of the Galenica Group, has purchased the license rights for CCX168 from ChemoCentryx Inc., which is a biopharmaceutical company that creates orally administered therapeutics.

CCX168 is a Complement 5a Receptor (C5aR) inhibitor. It is currently prepared for phase-three development for rare as well as orphan renal diseases throughout Canada, Europe, Central and South America, Mexico and South Korea.

With these rights, Vifor intends to market the drug within specific international territories. ChemoCentryx will still be responsible for developing CCX168 on a global scale.

"The collaboration with ChemoCentryx underlines our increasing attraction as the partner of choice for innovative pharmaceuticals,” Søren Tulstrup, CEO of Vifor Pharma, said. “CCX168 has the potential to address major unmet medical needs of patients in a number of different orphan indications, including AAV. In this field of rare diseases, current treatment options are often limited -- as well as associated with serious and often fatal side effects. We look forward to working with ChemoCentryx to bring this potentially important new treatment option to patients in Europe and other major markets as quickly as possible.”

Vifor purchased the rights for $85 million, with $60 million in cash and another $25 million in equity investments. The arrangement includes commercial and regulatory milestone payments, as well as royalties according to net sales. Additionally, the company agreed to the exclusive option of negotiating a license for the worldwide commercialization and development of CCX140.

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