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A Rare Second Chance at Partnering Success for Vernalis' Underperforming Frova

 
• By Chris Morrison

Vernalis has bought back rights to its Frova migraine treatment in North America from Elan, agreeing to pay $55 million over the next two years. Frova, sold there by Elan and UCB, had failed to reach even the most modest sales expectations. Now Vernalis plans to re-partner the drug, hoping a label-extension to menstrual-associated migraine lands it significantly better terms than its original 1998 deal with Elan. But Vernalis needs to raise money to complete the buyout, and the dynamics of the US migraine market suggest that until it can differentiate the drug on the basis of the MAM label, a huge primary care sales force would be necessary to gain a respectable share of the market.

When Pfizer Inc. launched the seventh triptan migraine therapy into the US market in February 2003 it did so with a bang. The Big Pharma rolled out eletriptan (Relpax) under the considerable steam of 6,000 sales reps, aiming to take a bite out of market-dominating sumatriptan (Imitrex) from GlaxoSmithKline PLC . Barely noticed was the flagging progress of the sixth entrant, frovatriptan (Frova), launched in late 2002 and sold by Elan Corp. PLC , which focused on neurologists, and UCB Pharma Inc., the US affiliate of Belgian conglomerate UCB Group SA, which details primary care physicians (PCPs).

While Elan had managed to capture a respectable 7% market share among neurologists, these doctors write only 1% of total...

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Can Italy Shake Off Its Reputation And Become A Premier Hub For Biotech?

 
• By Barnaby Pickering

Leading industry experts have spoken to In Vivo about how investment, a change in mindset and a fresh approach to policy may allow Italy to kick-start its biotech ecosystem.

Global Pharma Interest In Korea Undeterred Despite Political Roller Coaster

 
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• By Ashley Yeo

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UK Bets On Regulatory Innovation As Competitive Advantage In Synthetic Biology

 
• By David Wild

The UK government has prioritized synthetic biology and created a "concierge service" for biotechs just as the US cuts science funding.

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Deals In Depth: June 2025

 
• By Deanna Kamienski and Maureen Riordan

Five $1bn+ alliances were penned in June, and four exceeded $2bn.

Global Pharma Interest In Korea Undeterred Despite Political Roller Coaster

 
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Despite recent political turmoil, outside investor and corporate interest in South Korean biopharma innovation appears robust or even increasing.

Podcast: Oxolife’s Agnés Arbat, Winner Of The European Prize For Women Innovators

 
• By Jo Shorthouse

Agnès Arbat, CEO of Oxolife and winner of the EU Women Innovators Prize, joins In Vivo to discuss OXO-001, a novel non-hormonal treatment aimed at improving embryo implantation in IVF. She shares insights from her biotech journey and the future of fertility innovation.