Ferrer signs license agreement to develop an oral formulation treatment for patients with ALS
Barcelona and Tilburg, October 20th, 2021 – Today, Ferrer, an international pharmaceutical company focused on pulmonary vascular and interstitial lung diseases and neurological disorders, and Treeway, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, announced they have entered into a license agreement for the development and commercialisation of an oral formulation of edaravone (TW001/FNP122)i for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in certain territories, including Europe and some Asian countries. Under the terms of the license agreement, Ferrer is responsible for advancing the development and commercialisation of the product and will make royalty payments to Treeway at certain milestones.
The deal leverages Ferrer’s strong capabilities and expertise in neurology to underscore both companies’ commitment to expanding global access to TW001/FNP122 for the treatment of ALS.
Inez de Greef, CEO at Treeway comments: “Guided by patients, we have developed TW001/FNP122 through the early stages of development. We are therefore delighted that Ferrer has committed to advance our lead product to the required pivotal phase III trial and make it available for ALS patients in large parts of the world.”
Oscar Pérez, Ferrer’s Chief BD&L Officer, adds: “Driven by our purpose of bringing transformative products to patients over the world, we are pleased to enter the agreement with Treeway and look forward to patients benefiting from improved treatment options. TW001/FNP122 is the perfect fit for Ferrer’s strategy to bring new molecules to late-stage clinical development, registration and market entry in the field of neurological disorders and strengthen our pipeline for the coming years.”
The agreement comes into play with immediate effect.
About ALS ii
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the most frequent motor neuron disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, resulting in progressive paralysis, with death typically within 2 to 5 years of diagnosis.
ALS is a rare disease with multifactorial etiology, and the precise pathogenic mechanism is still unknown. ALS typically occurs in people between 40-70 years old, slightly more men than women. It is caused by a multitude of factors: 10-15% familiar ALS, 85-90% sporadic ALS.
i TW001 is the designated molecule reference by Treeway. FNP122 is the designated molecule reference by Ferrer since taking over its development.
ii Masrori and Van Damme; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a clinical review. European Journal of Neurology 2020, 27: 1918– 1929