United Therapeutics is selling a US paediatric priority review voucher to AbbVie for a record $350 million.
The group was given the Rare Paediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher (PPRV) by US regulators on the approval of Unituxin for neuroblastoma, under a programme designed to
encourage development of new treatments for rare childhood diseases.
A PPRV may be issued to the sponsor of a rare paediatric disease product application and would entitle the holder to priority review of a single application, significantly cutting the target review time.
The PPRV is iss
ued to the company upon approval of the rare paediatric disease product application and can be sold on without limitation.
“We are very pleased to monetise our PPRV, and hope that this transaction will encourage others to join us in focusing development efforts on rare paediatric diseases,” noted Roger Jeffs, United’s president and co-chief executive.
AbbVie has thus far remained shtum about which drug it has in mind for the voucher, but given its high cost its likely to be one they expect to bring in some serious cash.
