AstraZeneca recently acquired the rights to Actavis’ branded respiratory business in the US and Canada, according to a company announcement.

As part of the agreement, AstraZeneca is paying Actavis $600 million of initial consideration and agreed to pay low single-digit royalties above a certain revenue threshold. AstraZeneca also paid Actavis an additional $100 million for a number of contractual consents and approvals, including certain amendments to the ongoing collaboration agreements between AstraZeneca and Actavis.

This move supplements the company’s acquisition of Almirall’s respiratory portfolio in 2014 by extending the company’s development and commercialization rights into the US for both Tudorza Pressair and Duaklir Genuair.

 AstraZeneca owns the development and commercial rights in the US and Canada to TudorzaTM PressairTM (aclidinium bromide inhalation powder), a twice-daily long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to Daliresp® (roflumilast), the only once-daily oral PDE4 inhibitor currently on the market for COPD, in the US. AstraZeneca also owns the development rights in the US and Canada for LAS40464, the combination of a fixed dose of aclidinium with formoterol long acting beta agonist (LAMA/LABA) in a dry powder inhaler, which is approved in the EU under the brand name Duaklir® Genuair®.

Source: AstraZeneca