Co-promotion agreement covers aflibercept in Japan

Tarrytown, NY-Bayer HealthCare’s Japanese subsidiary, Bayer Yakuhin Ltd., and Santen Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. have entered into a co-promotion agreement for aflibercept injection (Eylea, also known as VEGF Trap-Eye; Regeneron Pharmaceuticals) in Japan.

In June 2011, Bayer Yakuhin submitted an application for marketing authorization to the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare for aflibercept for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Bayer HealthCare and Regeneron are collaborating on the global development of aflibercept, which was approved in the United States for the treatment of wet AMD in November. Regeneron maintains exclusive rights to aflibercept in the United States. Bayer HealthCare owns the exclusive marketing rights outside the United States. Bayer and Regeneron amended their existing global license and collaboration agreement for aflibercept to convert the 50/50 profit share for Japan into a royalty arrangement that approximates the economics of the profit split.

“With this agreement and upon marketing authorization, a newly formed Bayer Yakuhin ophthalmology field force and Santen, the leading ophthalmology company in Japan, will promote [aflibercept],” said Sebastian Guth, president and chief executive officer of Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd. “We expect that the combined resources of the two companies will allow [aflibercept] to achieve a broader and faster reach into the Japanese ophthalmology community and potentially benefit a greater number of patients.”

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