Corium, Lotus Pharma ink license agreement for innovative Alzheimers disease treatment Adlarity in multiple markets across Asia

Friday, August 11, 2023, 

Corium, LLC (Corium), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company leading the development and commercialization of novel neuroscience therapies, and Lotus Pharmaceutical, a multinational pharmaceutical company, announced that the companies have entered into an exclusive collaboration and license agreement for Adlarity (donepezil transdermal system), an innovative Alzheimer’s dementia treatment, in ten markets across Asia.

Adlarity is approved in the US by the US Food and Drug Administration as the first and only once-weekly patch for the treatment of mild, moderate, and severe dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. The transdermal system not only offers continuous and sustained release of donepezil through the skin using proprietary Corplex technology, but it also bypasses the gastrointestinal tract, enabling a favourable overall gastrointestinal side effect profile.  Donepezil, the active ingredient in the oral medication Aricept, is the leading symptomatic treatment globally for Alzheimer's dementia within the acetylcholinesterase class of therapies. The companies expect to file for regulatory approval in some Asian markets later this year.

"We are thrilled to be collaborating with the team at Lotus, who share our excitement about Adlarity as a novel way to deliver donepezil,” said Perry Sternberg, president & chief executive officer of Corium. “This partnership represents an important milestone for Corium in establishing Adlarity as a global brand and helps further our mission to create and deliver novel therapies that provide clinicians with important treatment options for patients, their families, and their caregivers."

“Today’s announcement highlights our drive and focus on innovation to address unmet medical needs across Asia, and validates our strong pipeline of opportunities,” said Petar Vazharov, chief executive officer of Lotus. “With Adlarity, we aim to provide a differentiated level of care that can significantly improve the lives of Alzheimer’s patients in our markets. This product is a strategic fit to our portfolio, affirming our strong capability and presence in CNS."

Under the terms of the agreement, Lotus will have exclusive rights to commercialize Adlarity in the applicable territory and will be responsible for the regulatory approval process. The territory includes Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Corium is responsible for supplying finished product to Lotus and will receive an upfront payment as well as regulatory and performance-based milestone payments based on net sales of the product.

According to IQVIA data, the market size of donepezil in the 10 markets in the territory is USD 185 million. By 2030, the number of patients with Alzheimer's dementia in these markets is expected to increase from 3 million in 2015 to 5.5 million.

Founded in 1966, Lotus is an international pharmaceutical company with global presence, focused on commercializing novel and generic pharmaceuticals, offering patients better, safe and more accessible medicines.

Corium, LLC, is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company that is leading the development and commercialization of novel neuroscience therapies that provide clinicians with important treatment options for patients, their families, and their caregivers.

PHARMABIZ.com