Sobi Acquires Full Rights to Develop and Commercialize Kineret from Amgen

Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB SWTUY announced today that they have acquired the full rights to develop and commercialize Kineret (anakinra) from American biotechnology company Amgen for all therapeutic indications. The revised agreement builds on the previous agreement that gave Sobi rights for Kineret within the field of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and four orphan drug indications, including Cryopyrin Associated Periodic Syndrome (CAPS). Sobi also acquired the right to additional data for Kepivance allowing the company to explore a potential new therapeutic indication based on two completed phase III trials performed by Amgen. The two randomized double blind placebo controlled trials, involving over 400 patients, demonstrate the potential for Kepivance to reduce the incidence of severe oral mucositis in patients undergoing treatment for advanced head and neck cancer. "This amendment to our existing agreement builds on a strong partnership with Amgen," said Geoffrey McDonough, CEO and President for Sobi. "Kineret is already an important product for Sobi and this amended agreement offers the potential for Sobi to explore its application to new indications, and the clinical trial data for Kepivance may allow us to make this therapy available to a substantially larger group of patients in the future." See full press release