A new therapeutic option to address debilitating rare diseases
Urea cycle disorders (UCDs) and maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) are rare genetic metabolic disorders for which current treatment options are limited, or non-existent in the case of MSUD. Both diseases greatly affect patients’ quality of life. True to our mission to provide patients with therapeutic relief from serious illnesses with high unmet medical needs, we partnered with Acer Therapeutics, a U.S.-based biotech company with strong capabilities in accelerated development of therapies for rare disease, for the worldwide development and commercialization of OLPRUVA™ (sodium phenylbutyrate) for oral suspension (formerly known as ACER-001).
OLPRUVA™, a proprietary powder formulation of sodium phenylbutyrate (NaPB), is designed to be both taste-masked and immediate release. These characteristics could make it a compelling alternative to existing NaPB-based treatments for UCD, as the unpleasant taste associated with NaPB is cited as a major impediment to patient compliance with those treatments.
Learn more about OLPRUVA™ (sodium phenylbutyrate) for oral
suspension
On March 22, 2021, Relief and Acer Therapeutics announced the signing of a collaboration and license agreement for the worldwide development and commercialization of OLPRUVA™ (sodium phenylbutyrate) for oral suspension for the treatment of UCDs and MSUD.
Under the terms of the agreement, Acer received approximately $10 million cash payment from Relief Therapeutics. Relief has also paid Acer $20 million in U.S. development and commercial launch costs for the UCDs and MSUD indications. Acer will retain development and commercialization rights in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Turkey and Japan. The companies will split net profits from Acer’s territories 60%:40% in favor of Relief. In addition, Relief has licensed the rights for the rest of the world, where Acer will receive from Relief a 15% royalty on all revenues received in Relief’s territories. Acer may also receive a total of $6 million in development milestone payments following the first European (EU) marketing approvals for UCDs and MSUD.