Danish pharma company ALK says that it is paying ARS Pharmaceuticals $145 million up front and up to $320 million in potential milestone payments plus royalties for the rights to neffy intranasal adrenaline (epinephrine) everywhere except the US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and China. In addition to the marketing rights to neffy for the treatment of anaphylaxis, for which it was approved both in the US and in Europe (as EURneffy) in August 2024, ALK has acquired the rights to market the nasal spray for future indications, including urticaria, in the same territories.
According to ALK, the company will launch the nasal spray first in Europe and Canada, with European launches expected in 2025. Although neffy is not yet approved in Canada, ALK says that a marketing application for neffy for the treatment of anaphylaxis in Canada is expected to be submitted by the end of this year. The company said that initiation of a Phase 2b trial of neffy for the treatment of urticaria flares is also expected to take place in 2025.
ALK CEO Peter Halling commented, “We are excited about the deal with ARS Pharma. It is an important step in ALK’s strategic efforts to establish leading positions in anaphylaxis, food allergy, and new disease areas such as urticaria, supplementing our core allergy offerings. Emergency treatment of life-threatening allergic reactions has strong scientific and commercial ties to our existing portfolio and prescriber base. We are convinced that neffy will transform anaphylaxis, benefitting patients at risk and leading to a significant expansion of the market.”
Read the ALK press release.
