Orexigen Therapeutics announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Orexigen Therapeutics Ireland and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany have executed a distributorship agreement for Contrave (naltrexone HCl / bupropion HCl extended release) in Latin America, including Brazil and Mexico. Under the terms of the agreement, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany will be responsible for all commercialization and regulatory activities and will own marketing authorization in the region. Orexigen will receive an upfront payment and other potential regulatory and sales milestones, which have not been disclosed. In addition, Orexigen will be responsible for product supply.
Headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany, Merck KGaA is a science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials.
"The well-established position of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany in Latin America, combined with their experience in treating complications that result from patients who are overweight or struggling with obesity makes them an ideal partner to bring Contrave to the region," said Dr. Thomas Cannell, EVP, Chief Operating Officer and President of Global Commercial Products of Orexigen. "We look forward to working closely with them to further commercialize Contrave. We now have partnerships covering 67 countries worldwide, including Brazil and Mexico with this agreement, and are committed to leveraging our alliance management capabilities to help combat the global rise of obesity rates."
The prevalence of patients who are overweight or struggling with obesity is rapidly increasing in Latin America. Approximately 56% of adults in Latin America are considered overweight or struggling with obesity, compared to a global average of 34%. The percentage of patients struggling with obesity in Brazil is expected to increase from 19.2% to 25.2% in adult men, and from 26.4% to 31.8% in adult women between 2016 and 2025. Over the same time period, the percentage of patients struggling with obesity in Mexico is expected to increase from 25.1% to 31.3% in adult men, and from 34.0% to 39.3% in adult women.