AstraZeneca divestment of Movantik to RedHill Biopharma completed

UK: AstraZeneca has completed the previously communicated agreement to sublicense its global rights to Movantik (naloxegol), excluding Europe, Canada, and Israel, to RedHill Biopharma (RedHill).

AstraZeneca will continue to manufacture and supply Movantik to RedHill during a transition period. In 2015, AstraZeneca entered into a co-commercialization agreement with Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. for Movantik in the US, which has now been transferred to RedHill.

Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca has received a payment of $52.5m from RedHill. The Company will also receive 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 agreement will not impact the Company's financial guidance for 2020.

Movantik (naloxegol) is a once-daily oral peripherally acting mu-opioid receptor antagonist 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 is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization 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.

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