Zurich (awp) – The Basilea laboratory has found with Innoviva Specialty Therapeutics an exclusive distributor in the United States for its hospital antibiotic Zevtera (ceftobiprole), eight months after the approval of this treatment by the FDA health agency. The Massachusetts laboratory will pay an initial payment of 4 million dollars (3.6 million Swiss francs) in this context.
Basilea will also be able to count on milestone payments likely to reach 223 million and commissions on sales of 17% to 25%, in addition to the supply price for this drug.
The emergence in the year 2000 of the Rhineland pharmaceutical behemoth Roche highlights in its press release on Monday the recent experience of its new partner in terms of launching hospital antibiotics in the country of Uncle Sam.
The health watchdog across the Atlantic authorized the prescription of Zevtera at the beginning of April for the indications against Staphylococcus aureus infections (SAB), infective endocarditis or bacterial infections of the skin and soft tissues (ABSSSI), as well as pneumonia. acute community-acquired bacterial infection (CABP). In the latter case, the authorization extends to children from the age of three months.
Less juicy than expected
The financial contours of the operation cool Laurent Flamme somewhat. The analyst from the Zurich Cantonal Bank, who in August called for the conclusion of such a partnership, expected an initial payment of 5 million Swiss francs and an envelope of 240 million for subsequent payments. The expert nevertheless welcomes the filling of an important gap in Basilea’s offering, without reconsidering his neutral assessment of the title.
Capital holders will now be interested in Innoviva’s know-how in terms of the effective sale of antibiotics on the American market, speculates its colleague Bruno Bulic at Brian Garnier. The analyst, who hoped for an initial payment of 30 million dollars, nevertheless sticks to his recommendation to purchase a Basilea share for which he perceives a fair long-term valuation of around 52 Swiss francs.
At 10:00 a.m., the registered Basilea was still appreciating by 3.2% to 41.60 Swiss francs, after having jumped by almost 10% in the first exchanges and against the trend of an SPI falling by 0 .29%.
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