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License to RedHill Biopharma supports AstraZeneca?s focus on main therapy areas

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License to RedHill Biopharma supports AstraZeneca?s focus on main therapy areas

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License to RedHill Biopharma supports AstraZeneca?s focus on main therapy areas

[caption id="attachment_9277" align="aligncenter" width="747"]Press Release Press Release[/caption]

AstraZeneca has agreed to sublicense its global rights to?Movantik?(naloxegol), excluding Europe, Canada and Israel, to RedHill Biopharma (RedHill).?Movantik?is a peripherally acting mu-opioid receptor antagonist (PAMORA) indicated for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation (OIC). Ruud Dobber, Executive Vice President, BioPharmaceuticals Business Unit, said: ?This divestment supports our strategy to realise value from medicines in our portfolio that are mature or outside our current scope to enable reinvestment in our main therapy areas.?Movantik?is an important established medicine and the divestment to RedHill will ensure its continued availability for patients.? As part of the agreement, AstraZeneca will continue to manufacture and supply?Movantik?to RedHill during a transition period. In 2015, AstraZeneca entered into a co-commercialisation agreement with Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. for?Movantik?in the US, which will be transferred to RedHill. Financial considerations RedHill will make an upfront payment of $52.5m to AstraZeneca on closing and a further non-contingent payment of $15m in 2021. Income arising from the upfront payment,?offset by a?charge for?derecognition?of the associated intangible asset, and the future payment will be reported in AstraZeneca?s financial statements within Other Operating Income & Expense. In 2019,?Movantik?generated sales of?$96m?in the US.?The divestment is expected to complete in the first quarter of 2020, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearances. Upon completion, the agreement will not impact the Company?s financial guidance for 2020. Movantik Movantik?is a once-daily oral PAMORA approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of OIC in adult patients with chronic non-cancer pain.?Movantik?was licensed from Nektar Therapeutics in 2009. It was developed using Nektar?s oral small-molecule polymer conjugate technology. In 2016, AstraZeneca divested the rights in Europe to ProStrakan Group (now KKI) and the rights in Canada and Israel to Knight Therapeutics. 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. Based in Cambridge, UK, 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.  

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