Organon & ObsEva Enter Global Development & Commercialization License Agreement 

Organon and ObsEva recently announced they have entered into an agreement whereby Organon will license the global development, manufacturing, and commercial rights to ebopiprant (OBE022). Ebopiprant is an investigational, orally active, selective prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) receptor antagonist being evaluated as a potential treatment for preterm labor by reducing inflammation and uterine contractions. If approved, it has potential to be a first-in-class innovation for this common and serious condition with no approved therapies for acute treatment of preterm labor in the US.

“This development-stage asset is being studied in one of the most crucial unmet needs for women globally. As we build Organon’s women’s health research and development portfolio, the agreement strengthens our path to long- term growth,” said Kevin Ali, Organon’s Chief Executive Officer. “Organon and ObsEva share a commitment to improve the lives of women around the world. Through Organon’s strong development, scientific, and medical capabilities, our goal is to change the future for millions of mothers and babies.”

Organon intends to work with the scientific and medical communities and regulatory authorities in major markets, including the US, to advance the clinical development and registration of ebopiprant.

Brian O’Callaghan, CEO of ObsEva, said “Organon is the ideal partner for the development and commercialization of ebopiprant and we see this agreement as an important step in advancing this investigational agent. Although preterm birth rates are on the rise, there are currently no other known compounds in development. That is why we are focused on evaluating this agent in an important area of unmet need. Together with the data generated to date, this agreement underscores the value of our program, and we look forward to executing on our shared vision.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Organon will gain exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize ebopiprant. ObsEva is entitled to receive tiered double-digit royalties on commercial sales as well as up to $500 million in upfront and milestone payments including $25 million to be paid at signing, up to $90 million in development and regulatory milestones and up to $385 million sales-based milestones. Goldman Sachs acted as exclusive financial advisor to ObsEva.

In November 2020, ObsEva announced positive results from PROLONG, the Phase 2a proof-of-concept, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of ebopiprant in preterm labor. In this study, 113 women with spontaneous preterm labor (gestational age between 24 and 34 weeks) were randomized and treated with atosiban (ex-U.S. standard of care) plus ebopiprant or atosiban plus placebo for 7 days. There were 83 (73%) women with singleton pregnancies and 30 (27%) with twin pregnancies. One hundred and forty-one neonates were born.

In the PROLONG study, ebopiprant reduced delivery in singleton pregnancies at 48 hours after the start of dosing by 55% compared to atosiban alone. Overall, 7/56 (12.5%) of women receiving ebopiprant delivered within 48 hours of starting treatment compared to 12/55 (21.8%) receiving placebo (OR 90% CI: 0.52 (0.22, 1.23)). In singleton pregnancies, 5/40 (12.5%) of women receiving ebopiprant delivered within 48 hours compared to 11/41 (26.8%) receiving placebo (OR 90% CI: 0.39 (0.15, 1.04)).  A modest effect on delivery at 7 days was seen in the singletons.

The incidence of maternal, fetal and neonatal adverse events were comparable between subjects in the ebopiprant group and the placebo group. Ebopiprant (OBE022) was licensed from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in 2015.

ObsEva is a biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing novel therapies to improve women’s reproductive health and pregnancy. Through strategic in-licensing and disciplined drug development, ObsEva has established a late-stage clinical pipeline with development programs focused on new therapies for the treatment of uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and preterm labor. For more information, visit www.ObsEva.com.

Organon is a global healthcare company formed through a spinoff from Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, to focus on improving the health of women throughout their lives. Here for her health, the company has a portfolio of more than 60 medicines and products across a range of therapeutic areas. Led by the reproductive health portfolio coupled with an expanding biosimilars business and stable franchise of established medicines, Organon’s products produce strong cash flows that will support investments in future growth opportunities in women’s health, including business development like recently acquired Alydia Health, a medical device company focused on postpartum hemorrhage. In addition, Organon is pursuing opportunities to collaborate with biopharmaceutical innovators looking to commercialize their products by leveraging its scale and presence in fast growing international markets.

Organon has a global footprint with significant scale and geographic reach, world-class commercial capabilities, and approximately 9,000 employees with its headquarters located in Jersey City, New Jersey. For more information, visit http://www.organon.com.