Dive Brief:
- FDA has approved Beleodaq (belinostat) for treatment of peripheral t-cell lymphoma (PTCL). This is the third drug approved for PTCL since 2009.
- Beleodaq was developed by Denmark-based Topotarget. Spectrum will now pay Topotarget a $25 million milestone payment. The overall deal included a $30 million upfront payment, up to $320 million in milestones, stock and royalties.
- Spectrum has rights to see Beleodaq in North America and India, and also has an option in China.
Dive Insight:
PTCL is a fast-growing type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that affects roughly 71,000 people per year and kills almost 19,000 (based on 2014 figures), according to the National Cancer Institute. Drugs being developed for treatment of PTCL are fast tracked because of the unmet medical need associated with this disease. Two of the three drugs developed to treat PTCL were developed by Spectrum.
In addition to Beleodaq, Spectrum developed Folotyn (pralatrexate) for the treatment of relapsed or refractory PTCL. In 2013, sales of Folotyn were close to $45 million. The third medication for PTCL, Celgene’s drug Istodax (romidepsin), was approved in 2011 and grossed around $40 million in 2013.