Dr Reddy's, Eisai ink licensing pact

Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has entered into a licensing  agreement with a Japan-based Eisai Company.

Under the agreement, Dr Reddy’s will be granted exclusive worldwide development and commercialisation rights (excluding Japan and Asia) for Eisai’s investigational anticancer agent E7777. Eisai will be responsible for the development and marketing of E7777 in Japan and Asia, while Dr Reddy's holds the option for rights to develop and market the agent in India, the Indian pharma company said.

In exchange of these rights, Eisai will receive milestone payments in line with obtaining marketing approval and the achievement of agreed upon sales targets. Through this agreement, the two companies aim to accelerate development and maximise the value of E7777, Dr Reddy’s said.

“E7777 has significant potential as an important component of systemic therapy for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). This therapy represents an extension of our current efforts in the dermatology space to an important segment of skin-related cancers,” Dr Reddy’s  proprietary products group executive vice president Raghav Chari said.