Nautilus Neurosciences Announces the Acquisition of CAMBIA™
New Specialty Pharmaceutical Company Establishes Product Portfolio With an FDA-Approved Product for the Acute Treatment of Migraine
BRIDGEWATER, N.J., November 23, 2009—Nautilus Neurosciences, Inc., a neurology-focused specialty pharmaceutical company headquartered in New Jersey, announced it has entered into an agreement with Kowa Pharmaceuticals America Inc. to acquire the migraine treatment CAMBIA™ (diclofenac potassium for oral solution) and PRO-571, a product development candidate for the potential treatment of acute pain.
Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in June 2009, CAMBIA is the only prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) available for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura. Engineered using Dynamic Buffering Technology™ (DBT), a patented absorption-enhancing technology, CAMBIA is specifically designed for fast, effective relief from the symptoms of migraine. Nautilus will launch CAMBIA in the U.S. market in the first half of 2010.
“Nautilus is passionate about identifying and launching drugs that offer a particular benefit to people affected by neurological disorders,” said Eric J. Liebler, Nautilus Neurosciences founder and president. “We are pleased to begin building our product portfolio with CAMBIA and PRO-571, and look forward to bringing these unique products to the U.S. market and establishing ourselves as a true partner to the neurology community.”
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed; however, they include both an up-front payment and future milestones based on Nautilus’ attainment of certain sales and regulatory milestones. CAMBIA and PRO-571 were initially licensed to Kowa Pharmaceuticals America by APR Applied Pharma Research, S.A., Balerna, Switzerland. As part of the transaction, Nautilus entered into a license agreement with APR providing the exclusive right to market and distribute the products in the U.S. and Canada.
The initial funding for Nautilus is being provided by Tailwind Capital, a leading private equity firm that invests in health care, business services and media/communications companies.
“We are pleased to be the founding investor in Nautilus and provide the capital needed to acquire and launch this unique product said Douglas M. Karp, managing partner of Tailwind Capital. “Nautilus represents the combination of a proven business model and an experienced management team that we believe will generate significant returns for our investors.
About CAMBIA
A novel, water-soluble, buffered diclofenac potassium powder, CAMBIA is the only prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) available for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura. Engineered using Dynamic Buffering Technology™ (DBT), a patented absorption-enhancing technology, CAMBIA enters a patient’s system quickly and readily achieves peak plasma concentrations, yet CAMBIA does not increase the patient’s total exposure to diclofenac.
Nautilus Neurosciences, Inc.
Nautilus Neurosciences is a neurology-focused specialty pharmaceutical company committed to providing the health care community with medically relevant products and services that directly benefit those affected by neurologic disorders. Nautilus is backed by Tailwind Capital, a leading private equity firm that invests in building growth companies in healthcare, business services and media/communications.
For more information, visit www.nautilusneurosciences.com.
Tailwind Capital
Tailwind Capital is a leading private equity firm investing in growth-oriented middle-market companies in the health care, business services and media/communications sectors. Tailwind partners with management teams to build businesses through organic growth, strategic acquisition and operational improvement. The firm currently has more than $1 billion under management. Representative Tailwind investments include VersaPharm (generic pharmaceuticals), Aircast (orthopedic devices), Freedom Innovations (prosthetic devices), SDI Health (health care analytics), TowerCo (wireless infrastructure), Archway (marketing logistics) and Trover Solutions (insurance services).
For more information, visit www.tailwind.com.
About APR Applied Pharma Research, S.A.
APR Applied Pharma Research S.A. is an independent, international, vertically integrated drug delivery and drug development company in healthcare with registered offices in Switzerland and the U.S. It is focused in the R&D of innovative and patented drug delivery systems as well as innovative pharmaceutical products primarily for oral and topical administration. The APR products and technologies are licensed to third parties for distribution and marketing activities. R&D activities are carried out directly or under contract. APR has signed licensing agreements with pharmaceutical companies in 117 countries worldwide and its sales are almost totally achieved abroad.
For more information about APR, please visit www.apr.ch.
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