Royalty Pharma To Buy Royalty Interest In Trelegy Ellipta From Theravance And Innoviva

(RTTNews) - Royalty Pharma plc (RPRX) agreed to acquire a royalty interest in Trelegy Ellipta from Theravance Biopharma Inc. (TBPH) and Innoviva Inc. (INVA) for $1.31 billion in cash up front and up to $300 million in additional payments contingent on the achievement of certain sales milestones.

The acquisition is expected to close within ten business days.

Trelegy, marketed by GSK, is a combination of an inhaled corticosteroid and two bronchodilators in a single delivery device administered once-daily for the maintenance treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the maintenance treatment of asthma in patients aged 18 years and older.

Royalty Pharma said it will acquire from Theravance and Innoviva all of the equity interests in Theravance Respiratory Company, LLC, which is entitled to an upward tiering royalty of 6.5% to 10% on annual worldwide Trelegy sales, payable by GSK.

Royalty Pharma will pay to Theravance 85% of the royalties in respect of ex-U.S. net sales after June 30, 2029 and 85% of the royalties in respect of U.S. net sales after December 31, 2030.

Royalty Pharma is also providing Theravance $25 million in upfront funding and a potential $15 million regulatory milestone to support the clinical development of ampreloxetine, an investigational once-daily norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor for the treatment of symptomatic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension in patients with multiple system atrophy.

Neurogenic orthostatic hypotension is a rare disorder in which the autonomic system fails to regulate blood pressure properly, resulting in low blood pressure upon standing. In exchange, Royalty Pharma will receive a low- to mid-single digit royalty on worldwide sales of ampreloxetine.