AstraZeneca Sells Gastro Treatment to Swiss Group Tillotts

In another move to sharpen its focus on oncology, diabetes and respiratory disorders, AstraZeneca has announced it is selling all non-US rights for Entocort, a treatment for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, for $215 million to Tillotts Pharma of Switzerland.

Tillotts is part of the Japanese Zeria Group.

In 2014, Entocort had sales of $53 million in 40 countries. Outside the US, the drug is sold through Par Pharmaceutical, a partnership which will be continued under the new owner.

The Swedish-British drugmaker has already shed its antibiotics portfolio and brought its experimental dementia drug into a partnership with Eli Lilly. Most recently, it sold co-marketing rights for a new constipation treatment for $200 million to Daiichi Sankyo of Japan.