AstraZeneca Sells COPD Drug Rights to Covis
AstraZeneca has agreed to transfer its global rights to two drugs for treating patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to Switzerland’s Covis Pharma for $270 million. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021.
The drugs are Eklira, known as Tudorza in the US, and Duaklir, both in dry powder form and delivered via the Genuair breath-actuated multi-dose inhaler. They generated undisclosed revenue of $143 million last year in the countries covered by the agreement.
AstraZeneca licensed the global rights to both products from Almirall in 2014.
Covis Pharma previously acquired the rights to three other respiratory medicines from the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker in 2018. These were Alvesco, used to treat persistent asthma, and Omnaris and Zetonna for treating nasal symptoms associated with rhinitis. Covis paid AstraZeneca $350 million, in addition to conditional sales-related payments of up to $21 million over four years from 2019.
Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist
