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Pharma Tech Outlook | Monday, June 21, 2021
Eton will pay Crossject up to 5.0 million dollars in development and regulatory milestone payment, 6.0 million dollars in commercial milestone payments, and a 10 percent royalty on net sales of the product under the terms of the agreement.
FREMONT, CA: Eton Pharmaceuticals, the U.S. marketer of ALKINDI SPRINKLE, a treatment for adrenocortical insufficiency in pediatric patients, announced that it has acquired the U.S. and Canadian rights to Crossject’s ZENEO hydrocortisone needleless autoinjector, which is being developed as an adrenal crisis rescue treatment.
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“The ZENEO autoinjector is a revolutionary delivery system, and this product is a terrific strategic fit with our current adrenal insufficiency business. Patients, advocacy groups, and physicians in the adrenal insufficiency community have repeatedly expressed to us the need for a hydrocortisone autoinjector, so we are excited to be partnering with Crossject to bring this product to patients in need,” said Sean Brynjelsen, CEO, Eton Pharmaceuticals.
Crossject developed and produced the patented needleless device ZENEO. The pre-filled, single-use gadget blasts drugs through the skin in less than a tenth of a second. The device’s small size, two-step administration, and needle-free technology make it an ideal delivery system for emergency pharmaceuticals that non-healthcare professionals in stressful conditions must provide. Crossject has undertaken bioequivalence and human factor studies with the ZENEO device utilizing multiple drugs and holds more than 400 global patents on the device, including 24 issued in the United States that extend through 2037.
Patrick Alexandre, CEO of Crossject, added: “We are proud to announce a sound commercial agreement for ZENEO Hydrocortisone in the U.S. and Canada with an American leader in adrenal insufficiency. ETON has successfully established strong relations with the patient communities and medical specialists that are its core focus. ZENEO Hydrocortisone answers a medical need. This strong partnership will contribute to saving lives by bringing to patients and their families a modern autoinjection possibility.”
The ZENEO device will be used to distribute a unique, room-temperature stable liquid formulation of hydrocortisone produced by Crossject. For patients who require a rescue dose of hydrocortisone, ZENEO hydrocortisone is intended to be the first and only hydrocortisone autoinjector accessible. Injectable hydrocortisone is currently only accessible in the United States as a lyophilized powder that must be reconstituted and given manually using a conventional syringe.
“We are delighted about Eton Pharmaceuticals’ plans to partner with Crossject to bring this incredibly needed product to patients in the U.S.,” said Dina Matos, Executive Director of CARES Foundation, a leading North American advocacy foundation for patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, the most common presentation of adrenal insufficiencies in children. “The challenge for patients and caregivers facing an adrenal crisis is serious; an easy-to-use needleless autoinjector of hydrocortisone will be a game changer for our patients. We welcome this advancement.”
Eton hopes to file a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the product in 2023, as well as a proposal for Orphan Drug Designation. Approximately 100,000 patients in the United States are estimated to have adrenocortical insufficiency and are at risk for adrenal crisis.
Eton will pay Crossject up to 5.0 million dollars in development and regulatory milestone payment, 6.0 million dollars in commercial milestone payments, and a 10 percent royalty on net sales of the product under the terms of the agreement. Crossject will be in charge of the development, clinical, and manufacturing activities and their cost management. Eton will be in charge of all regulatory and commercial aspects of the project.
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