Zambon granted Valeo Pharma exclusive rights to commercialize the Parkinson’s disease drug Xadago® (safinamide) in Canada. Valeo will shoulder all regulatory, sales, and marketing as well as quality and distribution activities for safinamide in Canada and will pay Zambon up-front, regulatory, and commercial milestones plus sales royalties.

Zambon is developing safinamide globally (excluding Japan and specified Asian territories) under license from Newron Pharmaceuticals. Commenting on its agreement with Zambon, Valeo Pharma president, Steve Saviuk, said, “On approval, Xadago will be the first new oral treatment in almost 15 years to address this serious condition in Canada. We look forward to bringing this important new treatment option to more than 100,000 Canadians living with Parkinson's and adding to our growing portfolio of prescription medications addressing major neurodegenerative diseases.”

Canadian firm Valeo is focused on commercializing products for rare or complicated diseases in Canada. Originally established as a specialty dermatology company in 2003, Valeo made the decision in 2014 to shift its focus to concentrate on its specialty products and subsequently sold its dermatology portfolio to Valeant Canada.

Zambon’s deal with Valeo comes just days after Meiji Seika Pharma, Newron’s partner for safinamide in Japan and Asia, reported its own licensing deal for the drug with Eisai.

Safinamide is marketed as combination therapy for Parkinson’s disease in 11 European countries and was granted FDA clearance in March as add-on therapy to levodopa/carbidopa. Meiji is carrying out clinical development of safinamide in Japan.

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