TARRYTOWN, N.Y., July 26, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: PGNX ) announced today that it has received a $50 million milestone payment from its worldwide collaboration partner, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (NYSE: VRX ), resulting from the US Food and Drug Administration's marketing approval last week of RELISTOR ® Tablets for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation in adults with chronic non-cancer pain.
“We are pleased that our partner Valeant can now offer RELISTOR in a more convenient tablet form to patients in need,” said Mark Baker, Chief Executive Officer of Progenics. “This and other sales milestone payments that we may receive from sales of RELISTOR provide an important source of non-dilutive financing for our Company as we approach topline, registrational data on AZEDRA ® and advance our diverse pipeline of prostate cancer imaging agents and therapeutics.”
Under a 2011 collaboration with Salix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (acquired by Valeant in April 2015), Progenics is also entitled to receive up to $200 million of sales milestone payments based on specified U.S. sales targets. The sales milestone payments range from $10 million when calendar-year U.S. net sales first exceed $100 million, to $75 million when such sales first exceed $1 billion. Each sales milestone payment is payable one time only, and one or more, or all, sales milestones could become payable within the same calendar year if the specified sales levels are met. Progenics also earns tiered royalties on total RELISTOR U.S. net sales, as follows: 15% on U.S. net sales up to $100 million, 17% on the next $400 million in U.S. net sales, and 19% on U.S. net sales over $500 million. Outside of the U.S. Progenics is entitled to receive 60% of any up-front milestone, royalty and other revenue, net of certain costs, as specified in our license agreement with Valeant.
About RELISTOR
Progenics has exclusively licensed development and commercialization rights for its first commercial product, RELISTOR, to Valeant. RELISTOR Tablets (450 mg once daily) is approved in the United States for the treatment of OIC in patients with chronic non-cancer pain. RELISTOR Subcutaneous Injection (12 mg and 8 mg) is a treatment for opioid-induced constipation approved in the United States and worldwide for patients with advanced illness and chronic non-cancer pain.
Important Safety Information about RELISTOR
RELISTOR ® (methylnaltrexone bromide) Tablets is contraindicated in patients with known or suspected gastrointestinal obstruction and patients at increased risk of recurrent obstruction, due to the potential for gastrointestinal perforation.
Cases of gastrointestinal perforation have been reported in adult patients with OIC and advanced illness with conditions that may be associated with localized or diffuse reduction of structural integrity in the wall of the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., peptic ulcer disease, Ogilvie’s syndrome, diverticular disease, infiltrative gastrointestinal tract malignancies or peritoneal metastases). Take into account the overall risk-benefit profile when using RELISTOR in patients with these conditions or other conditions which might result in impaired integrity of the gastrointestinal tract wall (e.g., Crohn’s disease). Monitor for the development of severe, persistent, or worsening abdominal pain; discontinue RELISTOR in patients who develop this symptom.
If severe or persistent diarrhea occurs during treatment, advise patients to discontinue therapy with RELISTOR and consult their healthcare provider.
Symptoms consistent with opioid withdrawal, including hyperhidrosis, chills, diarrhea, abdominal pain, anxiety, and yawning have occurred in patients treated with RELISTOR.
Patients having disruptions to the blood-brain barrier may be at increased risk for opioid withdrawal and/or reduced analgesia. Take into account the overall risk-benefit profile when using RELISTOR in such patients. Monitor for adequacy of analgesia and symptoms of opioid withdrawal in such patients.
Avoid concomitant use of RELISTOR with other opioid antagonists because of the potential for additive effects of opioid receptor antagonism and increased risk of opioid withdrawal.
The most common adverse reactions (≥ 12%) in adult patients with opioid-induced constipation and chronic non-cancer pain receiving RELISTOR tablets were abdominal pain, diarrhea, headaches, abdominal distention, hyperhidrosis, anxiety, muscle spasms, rhinorrhea, and chills. Adverse reactions of abdominal pain, diarrhea, hyperhidrosis, anxiety, rhinorrhea, and chills may reflect symptoms of opioid withdrawal.
Please see complete Prescribing Information for RELISTOR at valeant.com. For more information about RELISTOR, please visit www.relistor.com .
About Progenics
Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is developing innovative medicines and other products for targeting and treating cancer, with a pipeline that includes several product candidates in later-stage clinical development. These products in development include therapeutic agents designed to precisely target cancer (AZEDRA ® and 1095), and PSMA-targeted imaging agents for prostate cancer (1404 and PyL TM ) intended to enable clinicians and patients to accurately visualize and manage their disease. Progenics recently entered into an agreement with a subsidiary of Bayer AG granting Bayer exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize products using our PSMA antibody technology in combination with alpha-emitting radionuclides. In addition, in late 2015 Progenics acquired EXINI Diagnostics AB, a leader in the development of advanced artificial intelligence-based imaging analysis tools and solutions for medical decision support. The acquisition of EXINI complements Progenics' strategy to support its imaging and therapeutic agents with sophisticated analytical tools and other technologies to help physicians and patients visualize, understand, target and treat cancer. Progenics' first commercial product, RELISTOR ® (methylnaltrexone bromide) for opioid-induced constipation, is partnered with and marketed by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.
This press release may contain projections and other "forward-looking statements" regarding future events. Statements contained in this communication that refer to Progenics' estimated or anticipated future results or other non-historical facts are forward-looking statements that reflect Progenics' current perspective of existing trends and information as of the date of this communication. Forward looking statements generally will be accompanied by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "could," "should," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "outlook," "guidance," "intend," "may," "might," "will," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," or other similar words, phrases or expressions. Such statements are predictions only, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, the cost, timing and unpredictability of results of clinical trials and other development activities and collaborations, such as our collaboration with Valeant on the RELISTOR oral formulation and the Phase 3 clinical program for 1404; our ability to successfully integrate EXINI Diagnostics AB and to develop and commercialize its products; the unpredictability of the duration and results of regulatory review of New Drug Applications and Investigational NDAs; market acceptance for approved products; the effectiveness of the efforts of our partners to market and sell products on which we collaborate and the royalty revenue generated thereby; generic and other competition; the possible impairment of, inability to obtain and costs of obtaining intellectual property rights; possible product safety or efficacy concerns, general business, financial and accounting matters, litigation and other risks. More information concerning Progenics and such risks and uncertainties is available on its website, and in its press releases and reports it files with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Progenics is providing the information in this press release as of its date and, except as expressly required by law, Progenics disclaims any intent or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.
Additional information concerning Progenics and its business may be available in press releases or other public announcements and public filings made after this release. For more information, please visit www.progenics.com . Please follow us on LinkedIn®. Information on or accessed through our website or social media sites is not included in the company's SEC filings.
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Contact: Melissa Downs Investor Relations (914) 789-2801 mdowns@progenics.com
