On October 1, 2019 Servier, an independent international pharmaceutical company, reported the acquisition of PIXUVRI from CTI BioPharma (Press release, Servier, OCT 1, 2019, View Source [SID1234539989]). PIXUVRI is a treatment for adult patients with multiply relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma. Servier and CTI Biopharma completed an Asset Purchase Agreement which transferred worldwide rights of PIXUVRI to Servier. Servier commercialized PIXUVRI globally, in all countries where the drug was approved under an exclusive license from CTI BioPharma.
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"The acquisition of PIXUVRI is an important step towards Servier’s long-term strategy to become a key player in oncology. Within oncology, one of our key focuses is hematology, and we now have two medicines that are marketed globally alongside a strong and innovative pipeline of drug candidates which includes CAR-T therapies," said Claude Bertrand, Executive VP, Global Head of R&D at Servier. "As part of our strategy, we are committed to invest 50% of our R&D budget in oncology."
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a blood cancer that affects the lymphatic system, it can occur in different parts of the body from the lymph nodes in the neck to the liver or spleen, but also in other organs such as the stomach, small bowel, bones, brain, testicles or skin.1 Globally there are over 500,000 new cases of NHL a year; it is both the 11th most commonly diagnosed cancer and cause of cancer death.2
"We have a strong commitment to providing effective solutions for patients living with cancer. PIXUVRI is an effective treatment that received standard European marketing authorization in June, and today marks a new step towards achieving Servier’s long term goals. We will ensure that patients will continue to have access to PIXUVRI", said Eric Falcand, VP, Global Head of Business Development & Licensing at Servier. "We are continuing to strengthen our oncology portfolio through our R&D efforts and strategic alliances."
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About PIXUVRI (pixantrone)
PIXUVRI is a cytotoxic medicine that works by interfering with the DNA within cells and preventing them from making more copies of DNA. This means that the cancer cells cannot divide and eventually die.3 PIXUVRI is indicated in the European Union as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with multiply relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma.3 PIXUVRI is also approved in Iceland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Myanmar, Norway, Pakistan, Russia and Ukraine.
PIXUVRI is mentioned in the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) guidelines as an anthracycline-like drug with reduced cardiotoxicity, which demonstrated some efficacy in heavily treated patients.4
More detail is available in the summary of the European public assessment report (EPAR) on the EMA website at www.ema.europa.eu.