Sun Pharma expands tie-up with Cassiopea for acne cream to 6 countries

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries on Tuesday said it has expanded the scope of its partnership with Cassiopea regarding a medication to treat acne.

It has inked addendums to the license and supply agreements for WINLEVI (clascoterone) cream 1 percent, expanding the territory to include Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, and Russia.

As per the tie-up, the company will receive from Cassiopea the exclusive right to develop and commercialize WINLEVI in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, and Russia, Sun Pharma said in a statement.

Cosmo will be the exclusive supplier of the product while Cassiopea will receive an upfront payment of USD 7 million, potential regulatory and sales milestones, and customary double-digit royalties on net sales, it added.

Last year, Sun Pharma and Cassiopea, a subsidiary of Cosmo Pharmaceuticals, signed license and supply agreements for the US and Canadian markets.

Sun Pharma then launched WINLEVI in the US market in November 2021.

WINLEVI is a new class of topical medication that continues to generate significant interest among dermatologists in the US.

''The expansion of our agreement with Cosmo will enable us to make this new acne treatment available to patients in many more countries and is in line with our strategy to build a global portfolio of specialty products,'' Sun Pharma EVP & Head - Generic R&D, Generic Global BD, and Emerging Markets Aalok Shanghvi noted.

President of Cosmo Dermatology Division Diana Harbort said Sun Pharma's early success with WINLEVI in the US makes the company highly confident in its ability to maximize the opportunity in the expanded territory.

A first-in-class topical androgen receptor inhibitor, WINLEVI was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2020 for the topical treatment of acne vulgaris in patients 12 years of age and older.

It is suitable for use in both males and females.