Barcelona and Tilburg, October 20, 2021 – Ferrer, an international pharmaceutical company focused on vascular and interstitial lung diseases and neurological disorders, and Treeway, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, have announced that they have signed a licensing agreement for the development and commercialization of an oral formulation of edaravone (TW001/FNP122i) for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in certain territories, including Europe and some countries in Asia. Under the terms of the license agreement, Ferrer is responsible for advancing the development and commercialization of the product and will pay royalties to Treeway as goals are achieved.
The agreement leverages Ferrer's strong capabilities and expertise in neurology to strengthen both companies' commitment to expand global access to TW001/FNP122 for ALS treatment.
Inez de Greef, CEO of Treeway, comments: "Guided by patients, we have progressed with TW001/FNP122 in the early stages of development. We are therefore delighted that Ferrer has committed to advancing our flagship product towards the critical and necessary Phase III trial and making it available to ALS patients in much of the world."
Oscar Pérez, Chief BD&L Officer of Ferrer, adds: "Driven by our purpose to bring transformative products to patients around the world, we are proud to announce this agreement with Treeway. We have high hopes that patients can benefit from new treatment options. FNP122 fits perfectly with Ferrer's strategy of incorporating new molecules in advanced stages of development, registration and market entry in the field of neurological disorders in order to strengthen our pipeline in the coming years".
The agreement enters into force with immediate effect.
About ELAii
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common motor neuron disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, resulting in progressive paralysis, with death typically occurring between 2 and 5 years after diagnosis.
ALS is a rare disease of multifactorial etiology and the precise pathogenic mechanism is still unknown. ALS usually appears in people between the ages of 40 and 70, with a somewhat higher prevalence in men than in women. It is caused by a multitude of factors: 10-15% familial ALS, 85-90% sporadic ALS.
References:
- TW001 is Treeway's designated reference for the molecule. FNP122 is the reference designated by Ferrer for the molecule once it has assumed its development.
- Masrori and Van Damme; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a clinical review. European Journal of Neurology 2020, 27: 1918–1929
