CHADDS FORD, Pa. (AP) — Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc. said today it has agreed to pay up to $180 million for licensing rights to market a potential pain treatment from BioDelivery Sciences International Inc. that would be delivered through a dissolvable film applied to the inside of the cheek.
Endo, based in Chadds Ford, Pa., said it will make an upfront payment of $30 million and up to $150 million in additional payments based on regulatory, clinical development and commercial milestones for BEMA Buprenorphine, which is in late-stage testing to treat moderate to severe chronic pain.
BioDelivery, based in Raleigh, N.C., said the potential treatment uses its BioErodible MucoAdhesive, or BEMA, technology to deliver buprenorphine. The film is applied inside the patient's mouth and is designed to dissolve completely within a half hour. The company's website said the film can be used when a rapid delivery of the drug is important, oral dosing is not optimal or when injections or intravenous lines are not available.
Endo will be responsible for worldwide marketing and sales if the treatment receives regulatory approval.
Shares of BioDelivery more than doubled, rising $1.10 to $1.85 in premarket trading Friday.