Santhera and Takeda extend SNT-MC17

Swiss pharmaceutical firm Santhera and Japanese drugmaker Takeda have extended their existing partnership, which is focused on the commercialization of SNT-MC17 (idebenone) in the European Union and Switzerland. The revision is designed to support the drug's development as a treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, an indication for which it is currently being examined in a European Phase II clinical trial. Under the terms of the new deal, Santhera grants exclusive EU and Swiss marketing rights for the product to Takeda in return for a 2.0 million-euro ($2.7 million) upfront payment, as well as milestones contingent on marketing clearance. The Swiss firm will also receive sales royalties on identical terms to those stipulated in the 2005 agreement covering the drug's use in Friedreich's Ataxia (Marketletters passim).