AstraZeneca today announced its licensing agreement with Ironwood Pharmaceuticals.
The agreement gives Ironwood the U.S. rights to Zurampic (lesinurad) and the fixed-dose combination of lesinurad and allopurinol.
Under the agreement, Ironwood will pay AstraZeneca up to $265 million plus royalties for the exclusive U.S. rights to Zurampic. In return, AstraZeneca will manufacture Zurampic and proceed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) post approval process.
“We’re pleased to be entering into this agreement with Ironwood, a company with whom we already have a number of successful commercial partnerships," EVP Luke Miels said. "Our new agreement with Ironwood will ensure the successful launch of Zurampic in the U.S., while allowing us to concentrate our resources on the innovative medicines in our main therapy areas.”
Gout is a serious form of progressive inflammatory arthritis characterized by excessive production of uric acid. The uric acid crystals accumulate in joints, often in the toes and fingers. Zurampic (lesinurad) increases the excretion of uric acid from the body. When combined with an xanthine oxidase inhibitor (XOI) such as allopurinol, which reduces the production of uric acid, the medication reduces uric acid levels in the body.
Three Phase III clinical trials showed that the combination of the two drugs is an effective treatment of hyperuricemia in patients suffering from uncontrolled gout.
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