On April 27, 2021 Voluntis (Euronext Growth Paris, Ticker: ALVTX – ISIN: FR0004183960), a leader in digital therapeutics, reported a collaboration agreement with Eisai (Headquarters: Tokyo) to design and develop innovative digital therapeutics (DTx) to support patients treated for cancer as well as a strategic investment from Eisai in Voluntis (Press release, Debiopharm, APR 27, 2021, View Source [SID1234578548]).
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Collaboration and license agreement further enriching Voluntis’ commercial pipeline
By leveraging Voluntis’ Theraxium technology platform, the two companies will collaborate on novel DTx specifically designed for patients and healthcare professionals to support cancer treatment.
The partners’ goals are to jointly design and develop new DTx, and evaluate their benefits for patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals. Ultimately, the companies would collaborate on the commercialization of the DTx, once authorized for marketing by regulatory authorities. The new assets will be designed with the intent to be commercialized in the US, Japan and European markets. The initiative supports both partners’ strategy of using digital technology to improve treatment experiences and patient outcomes. The DTx will be based on the Theraxium platform, which powers Voluntis’ portfolio of digital therapeutics, including its first-in-class proprietary oncology solution which received marketing authorization in the US and Europe.
In addition to their partnership in oncology, the partners will explore other opportunities of collaboration to develop, evaluate and commercialize digital therapeutics based on the Theraxium platform in the field of neurology, another area of strategic focus for Eisai notably for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Pierre Leurent, CEO of Voluntis, said: "We are delighted to be starting this alliance with Eisai, a life sciences leader driven by an inspiring human health care philosophy. Our teams are eager to contribute to this mission, bringing complementary skills and capabilities to enable this collaboration. We are honored by the trust Eisai has placed in us and see it as a recognition of Voluntis as a trusted global partner for pharmaceutical companies developing digitally-augmented therapies".
Following this strategic agreement, Voluntis increases its global footprint with a new opportunity to commercialize its technology in Japan. The collaboration also enriches the company’s portfolio of pharma-partnered DTx, demonstrating once again the strength of its Theraxium platform, a state-of-the-art technology to accelerate and de-risk the strategic DTx initiatives of leading pharmaceutical players.
Main terms of the strategic investment by Eisai
In addition to the payment made upon execution of the collaboration and licensing agreement, Eisai makes a strategic investment in Voluntis. This transaction will strengthen the partnership between the two companies.
The investment will be carried out through the reserved issuance to Eisai of 100,361 ordinary shares without pre-emptive rights for the existing shareholders of the Company. The issue price of the new shares was set at €4.15 per share. Upon settlement-delivery of the new shares, Eisai will hold ca. 1.1% of Voluntis’s share capital and ca. 0.86% of voting rights.
Kazumasa Nagayama, Chief Strategy Officer of Eisai, said: "Eisai is aiming to become a "Medico Societal Innovator" (a company that changes society through creating medicines and providing solutions) in our Medium-Term Business Plan "EWAY 2025". Partnering with Voluntis, a leading DTx company, is one of our key initiatives to realize it. We expect this alliance will help increase the benefits provided to patients and their families".