LONDON, 5 Apr (APM) - Novartis is suing Amgen over its attempt to end a collaboration on migraine treatment Aimovig (erenumab).
Swiss pharma Novartis said in a late Thursday statement that Amgen on Tuesday issued a notice of termination of the collaboration for predicted blockbuster Aimovig. The drug was approved in the U.S. in May last year as a once-monthly self-injection for the preventive treatment of migraine in adults.
It was the first product approved in a class of treatment that work by blocking the activity of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a molecule that is involved in migraine attacks. Two other drugs in the class, Teva’s Ajovy (fremanezumab) and Eli Lilly’s Emgality (galcanezumab), have since been approved.
Novartis has described Aimovig as a "runaway success," used by about 210,000 patients in the U.S. and 20,000 elsewhere, while Amgen’s head of global commercial operations Murdo Gordon said last year that his company has been “energised by the remarkable response from physician and patient communities” to the drug (APMMA 60382).
Despite this, Amgen is keen to get out of the collaboration, accusing Novartis of letting its generics division Sandoz work with Alder Biopharmaceuticals on a possible Aimovig rival.
Novartis said in its statement that it “disputes the notice vigorously”.
“In order to prevent an unjustifiable attempt by Amgen to end the collaboration, Novartis has filed a lawsuit asking the court to confirm that Amgen has no right to terminate the agreements. The agreements will remain in force unless and until a final and binding court decision is pronounced that terminates the agreements.”
According to Thomson Reuters, Novartis said in its complaint that it has spent at least $870 million on Aimovig since it began collaborating in August 2015 with Amgen, which previously controlled rights to the drug.
The news agency added that Sandoz this year amended its contract manufacturing agreement with Alder, agreeing to continue supplying Alder's drug only through 2023.
"Amgen now wants to keep the Aimovig profits for itself and deprive Novartis Pharma of its contractual right to share in the product's success and recoup its significant investments," Novartis said in its complaint, according to Reuters.
Amgen said in an emailed statement to Reuters it is seeking to terminate the collaboration agreements with Novartis and obtain damages, but termination would not be effective until the litigation is resolved.
The news agency also spoke to Alder’s chief executive Robert Azelby who said: "Sandoz is a separate entity who does contract manufacturing for many companies who would compete with an Amgen or whatever.”
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