Cytogen chooses Berlex for Quadramet

After months of searching for a new partner to market its bone cancer therapeutic agent Quadramet, radiopharmaceutical firm Cytogen of Princeton, NJ, announced Oct. 29 that it had signed an exclusive license agreement with Berlex Laboratories for the manufacture and sale of the product. The deal covers marketing and sales in North and South America, and the two companies are in the process of securing a long-term supply agreement with Du Pont Pharmaceutical of North Billerica, MA, Cytogen’s former marketing partner and current contract manufacturer of Quadramet.

Berlex will pay Cytogen $8 million when the supply agreement with Du Pont is finalized. Cytogen will pay half of the money to Du Pont to establish a five-year manufacturing deal. Berlex will also pay royalties to Cytogen on net sales of Quadramet, as well as milestone payments for achieving predetermined sales levels. The Montville, NJ, company expects to begin marketing Quadramet in January 1999. Cytogen plans to conclude phase IV post-approval studies required by the Food and Drug Administration in its clearance of Quadramet.

The Berlex deal closes an interim agreement between Cytogen and Du Pont, in which Du Pont agreed to identify marketing partner candidates for Cytogen (SCAN 10/28/98).