Ipsen has paid Inspiration Biopharmaceuticals $30 million as part of a renegotiation of the firms’ ongoing partnership to develop Inspiration’s recombinant hemophilia products. Under terms of the new deal Ipsen regains commercial rights to the recombinant porcine factor VIII OBI-1, and is granted commercialization rights to a recombinant factor IX IB1001, in Europe, Russia, and the Community of Independent States, as well as specific Asia-Pacific territories (including Australia, China, Singapore, and South Korea) and certain countries in North Africa. Inspiration could earn another $215 million in regulatory and commercial milestones, and remains responsible for worldwide development of the two late-stage products OB-1 and IB1001.
The firms say they believe the new agreement structure will give Inspiration the leverage it needs to raise additional third-party financing and have enough cash to last until a potential equity offering next year. Ipsen has in addition agreed to invest up to $20 million in Inspiration, dependent on whether the latter manages to raise additional external funding over the next few weeks.
Ipsen and Inspiration inked their original agreement to develop a broad portfolio of hemophilia products back in January 2010. The portfolio is headed by two Phase III candidates. IB1001 is an intravenous recombinant factor IX (rFIX) therapy for the treatment and prevention of bleeding episodes in people with hemophilia B. OBI-1 is an intravenous recombinant porcine factor VIII (rpFVIII) therapy for the treatment of people with either acquired hemophilia A, or congenital hemophilia A who have developed inhibitors against human FVIII. Last month FDA put two clinical trials evaluating IB1001 on clinical hold after patients were found to exhibit antibodies against Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) protein, which is the product’s host cell protein.