We partner with companies that have proven capabilities in cardiovascular medicine, and that share our passion for supporting patients who need help lowering their bad cholesterol. Our medicines offer new options for patients struggling with their LDL-C, and we believe partnering with strong commercial organizations around the world is the best way to enable broad access to our medicines globally.
Current collaborations
Our established partnerships to commercialize bempedoic acid and its combination with ezetimibe in Europe and Japan represent the largest agreements for these geographic areas in Esperion’s history.
We have partnered with Daiichi Sankyo Europe to commercialize our two marketed products in the European Economic Area, UK, Switzerland and later also in Turkey with the signing of the first amendment to the existing agreement. The agreement includes up to $900 million in milestone payments plus significant royalties. Nilemdo® (bempedoic acid) Tablet and Nustendi® (bempedoic acid and ezetimibe) Tablet were approved in the European Union and Switzerland in 2020, and Daiichi Sankyo Europe launched both medicines in Germany in November 2020 and in the UK in July 2021, with further launches in other countries planned in 2021 and later years. With strong commercial capabilities, particularly in cardiovascular medicine, and a shared commitment to provide innovative medicines to help protect people from the impact of cardiovascular disease, Daiichi Sankyo Europe has been an ideal partner to bring these products to patients across Europe.
In April 2021, we further expanded our partnership with Daiichi Sankyo, granting Daiichi Sankyo exclusive commercialization rights to bempedoic acid and the bempedoic acid/ezetimibe combination tablet in S. Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Brazil, Macao, Cambodia and Myanmar. The agreement included a $30.0 million upfront payment, up to $175.0 million in milestone payments, plus royalties on sales in these geographies. The terms allow for potential expansion across geographies in the Middle East and Latin America.
In Japan, we are partnering with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company to continue to develop and commercialize bempedoic acid and its combination with ezetimibe. The total value of the agreement is $600 million including milestones and development costs, and Otsuka will pay Esperion a significant royalty on all net sales. Otsuka will manage all ongoing development, regulatory approvals and commercialization activities in Japan.
Partnering opportunities
Reach out to our business development team to learn more about current partnership opportunities with Esperion.