CHEPLAPHARM Group has entered into a definitive agreement with Eli Lilly and Company to acquire the worldwide rights (except South Korea) for Gemzar® with the active ingredient gemcitabine. The product is part of the treatment regimen for various types of cancer. Closing of the transaction is subject to the fulfillment of customary closing conditions.
With this agreement, CHEPLAPHARM, the global market leader in acquiring established originator products from research-based pharmaceutical companies, has secured the worldwide rights (except South Korea) to acquire Gemzar® from Lilly.
The active ingredient gemcitabine is a well-established chemotherapeutic substance for the therapy of various types of cancer: non-small cell lung cancer, urothelial, biliary tract, pancreatic, ovarian, cervical, and breast cancer. The active substance is included in the WHO Model Lists of Essential Medicines.
In almost 30 years of clinical and post-marketing experience since the first commercial approval in 1995, Gemzar® has proven very effective in treating cancer. It is an important component of first- or second-line therapy options, often in combination with platinum-containing chemotherapy or other oncological drugs. Gemzar® is available in the form of a lyophilized powder for intravenous administration.
“Following the acquisition of the Zyprexa® portfolio last year, Gemzar® is the second transaction we will realize with Lilly. It is proof of the good cooperation and mutual trust that we have built up together. With Gemzar®, we will acquire a well-established product that fits perfectly into our existing oncology portfolio,” says Edeltraud Lafer, CEO of CHEPLAPHARM.
With brands such as Vesanoid®, Tarceva®, Xeloda®, Myocet®, Paraplatin® and Taxol®, CHEPLAPHARM already has a broad and patient-centered product portfolio for the treatment of various types of cancer in the oncology therapeutic area, which will be further strengthened with Gemzar®.