Arena, Teva Ink Marketing And Supply Agreement For Belviq
Arena Pharmaceuticals subsidiary Arena Pharmaceuticals GmbH has signed into an exclusive commercialization and supply agreement with Teva subsidiary Abic Marketing for Arena’s weight management drug, Belviq (lorcaserin HCl).
According to the State of Israel Ministry of Health (MOH), an estimated 48 percent of Israelis are overweight or obese, the numbers of which have almost tripled between 1967 and 2003. Belviq is thought to reduce food consumption and promote fullness through its selective activation of the brain’s serotonin 2C receptors. The drug is primarily marketed by Eisai in several countries around the world. Ildong Pharmaceuticals sells Belviq in South Korea while CY Biotech markets the drug in Taiwan.
Abic gains the rights to market and supply Belviq in Israel for weight management or weight loss in obese patients in accordance to the regulatory approval by the State of Israel Ministry of Health (MOH). Jack Lief, Arena's President and CEO, said that the Israeli company has an established presence and marketing experience in the country which will be instrumental in the distribution of the drug as a chronic weight management treatment option.
As part of the agreement, Arena will receive an upfront payment and will be eligible to receive milestone payments upon submission and approval of Belviq in the country. The company will produce Belviq at its facility in Switzerland while Abic will be responsible for the drug’s regulatory approval, marketing, and distribution in Israel.
Earlier this month Arena announced that its collaborator Eisai has signed up 200 new contract sales reps in its Metabolic Business Unit. This expands the company’s sales team for Belviq to approximately 600. The partners said they expect the sales force expansion to help them increase their consumer base to an estimated 92,000 physicians in the U.S.
Teva has also recently been in the news about the expansion of its own CNS pipeline following the completion of its acquisition of pharmaceutical company Labrys and its lead candidate LBR-101 for the treatment of migraine.