Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company of New Haven announced Wednesday that it had completed its transaction with Pfizer Inc. to sell the migraine drugs rimegepant and zavegepant outside of the U.S.
The deal — potentially worth $1.24 billion — received the required regulatory approvals and its completion triggers total upfront payment to Biohaven of $500 million, consisting of $150 million cash and $350 million in the purchase of Biohaven equity.
Rimegepant, sold under the name Nurtec ODT in the U.S., is the only oral CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide) receptor antagonist approved for both the acute and preventive treatment of migraine in adults.
Zavegepant, still awaiting approval, is a CGRP receptor antagonist delivered in an intranasal spray that promises ultra-rapid migraine relief and an option for those who can’t tolerate oral medication.
Pfizer Internal Medicine Global President Nick Lagunowich said, “We are enthusiastic about working with the Biohaven team to bring this valuable new treatment option to the millions of people across the globe suffering from migraine.”
Biohaven will continue to lead research and development globally on the drugs and retain rights to the U.S. market.
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BiomX wins $5M grant from Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation awarded a $5 million grant to BiomX to fund research on treatment of chronic respiratory infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, the company announced Wednesday.
An Israeli bioscience firm with a Branford location, BiomX has developed a drug candidate called BX004 for the treatment of chronic respiratory infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a main contributor to illness and death in CF patients.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared BX004 in September for use in a Phase 1b/2a trial in CF patients with the infections.
BiomX CEO Jonathan Solomon said, “We are very pleased to receive the support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – an organization which historically has played a role in supporting the development of innovative therapies for patients suffering from cystic fibrosis.”
BiomX is a clinical-stage microbiome company developing phage therapies that target disease-causing bacteria.
Phages, viruses that target and destroy harmful bacteria, are the active ingredient in BiomX’s acne gel, which reported mixed results in a clinical trial this fall.
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New Haven health nonprofit sounds alarm on microplastics
New Haven-based nonprofit Environment and Human Health, Inc. (EHHI) sounded the alarm on the health and ecosystem impacts of plastics and microplastics in a report issued on Tuesday.
Governments and corporations must act soon to institute new policies that will cut down on plastic production and better protect the public from harmful plastic and microplastic exposures, the report said.
Yale Professor of Environmental Chemistry Gaboury Benoit, author of the report, said, “Almost 500 scientific studies were reviewed in the writing of this report, and they show that each of us ingests and inhales millions of microscopic plastic particles each year. Microplastics carry chemical additives and coatings as well as potentially pathogenic microbes. Disturbingly, their impact on human health is not yet known.”
Microplastic exposure carries the greatest potential risk to developing fetuses, which are particularly vulnerable to toxins, the report concluded. The tiny particles are found in the placenta, in addition to all levels of marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
Because almost all microplastics come from the breakdown of larger plastic items, it is impossible to control the amount of microplastics without reducing or stopping the production of plastic, the report found.
EHHI President Nancy Alderman said, “We need to stop plastic production at its source. This will take international agreements between nations, regulations in the United States at all levels of governments, and include the cooperation of industry and the efforts of individual citizens.”
EHHI is a group of physicians, public health professionals and policy experts working to protect human health from environmental harms through research, education and public policy.
Contact Liese Klein at lklein@newhavenbiz.com.
