October 31, 2024 8:30 AM EDT | Source: FORUS Therapeutics Inc.
- Under the terms of the agreement, FORUS is licensing BESREMi from PharmaEssentia for PV in Canada, with potential expansion to other investigational myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) indications.
- FORUS will oversee the drug registration and commercialization of BESREMi in Canada, including securing approval of BESREMi in PV and meeting certain milestones.
Oakville, Ontario–(Newsfile Corp. – October 31, 2024) – FORUS Therapeutics Inc (“FORUS”) and PharmaEssentia Corporation (“PharmaEssentia”) have entered into an exclusive licensing agreement for the registration and distribution of BESREMi® (ropeginterferon alfa-2b) for the treatment of polycythemia vera (PV), in Canada.
“On behalf of the FORUS Therapeutics team, I am truly excited to announce this licensing agreement with PharmaEssentia and to commence the process of commercializing BESREMi in Canada. BESREMi represents the second novel therapeutic in the FORUS hematology-oncology pipeline and is another important step in fulfilling the organization’s mission and vision. We are committed to rapidly advancing BESREMi through the regulatory and reimbursement pathways to ensure that PV patients in Canada have broad access to this novel medication,” said Kevin Leshuk, President and CEO of FORUS. “We are making this announcement today to support the momentum created by the September 12th, Annual MPN Awareness Day and the International Congress on Myeloproliferative Neoplasms, recently held in Brooklyn, New York. We believe that continuing to elevate awareness with the goal of meeting the unmet needs of the MPN community is critical to making a difference in the lives of patients.”
“BESREMi is an important and significant development for clinicians who treat patients with PV. BESREMi as a potential future treatment option is particularly critical for Canada, where treatment options are notably limited for these patients,” says Dr. Shireen Sirhan, a founding member and the current President of the Canadian MPN group, and Vice-President for research in MPNs of the Groupe Québécois de recherche en LMC-NMP. “Canadian physicians have played a significant role in the clinical development program for BESREMi and we look forward to having this important treatment available in the clinic for our patients in need.”
“This is very exciting news for the PV community across Canada,” says Doug Chisholm and Patricia Saluk, the former and current Chair, Board of Directors of the Canadian MPN Network Patient Advocacy group. “Polycythemia vera is a rare blood cancer and the future commercialization of BESREMi in Canada offers highly anticipated new hope for patients, families, and their support networks. We hope the Canadian regulatory and payor systems will work as quickly as possible to ensure our patient community has access to this much needed new treatment regimen.”