AstraZeneca and ProStrakan agree Moventig licensing deal

AstraZeneca has announced a new licensing deal with ProStrakan pertaining to the rights to Moventig, its treatment for opioid-induced constipation.

ProStrakan will make an upfront payment of $70 million (50.2 million pounds) to AstraZeneca to acquire the rights to sell and develop Moventig in the EU, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Additional payments will be paid depending on market access decisions in certain European markets, as well as sales-based milestone fees and royalties. AstraZeneca and ProStrakan will work together to make relevant strategic decisions.

Moventig was the first once-daily, oral peripherally-acting mu-opioid receptor antagonist to be approved in Europe for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation in adult patients who have had an inadequate response to laxatives.

Luke Miels, executive vice-president for global product and portfolio strategy at AstraZeneca, said: "ProStrakan’s significant expertise in the area of pain medication will ensure patients across Europe benefit from a first-in-class treatment."

This comes after the firm agreed a deal with Daiichi Sankyo for the co-commercialisation of the drug in the US, where it is sold under the name Movantik.