Swedish pharmaceutical company AlzeCure Pharma announced Wednesday that it has struck a major out-licensing and collaboration agreement with Danish biotech firm QuantumCell ApS. The deal is valued at more than $2.2 billion, not including any royalty payments.
AlzeCure specializes in developing small-molecule drug candidates aimed at diseases of the central nervous system, with a primary emphasis on Alzheimer’s disease and pain management.
Under the terms of the agreement, QuantumCell gains worldwide rights to AlzeCure’s Alzheimer’s drug platform known as NeuroRestore, which includes the drug candidate ACD856. That candidate is currently undergoing clinical development and works by shielding nerve cells from damage, reducing inflammation, and slowing or altering how the disease progresses.
AlzeCure CEO Martin Jönsson expressed optimism about the partnership’s potential impact. “With this agreement we see the opportunity for the project’s assets to earlier reach and benefit several different patient groups,” he said.
Because of how the drug works at a pharmacological level, it may be applicable to a range of conditions beyond Alzheimer’s disease, including Parkinson’s disease and depression.
As part of the financial arrangement, AlzeCure will receive a total upfront payment of $12 million. Of that amount, $5 million will be made as a direct investment into the company. The deal also includes milestone payments tied to development and commercial progress, along with tiered royalties ranging from single-digit to low double-digit percentages on future sales.
