TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - Jun 15, 2015) - Easton Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OTC PINK: EAPH) announces it has closed on the recently announced MOU with BMV Medica S.A. de C.V. to distribute injectable approved cancer drugs from Biolyse Pharma for Mexico and Latin America.
The Easton / BMV agreement is under similar terms as previously announced with the Common Sense Inc. agreement for the diagnostic women's health products which maintains a 50/50 net profit sharing on all sales of a line of generic cancer drugs beginning with "Paclitaxel" and "Docetaxel" from St. Catharines, Ontario based Biolyse Pharma Corporation. The terms of the agreement calls for Easton to support the regulatory filings in Mexico for marketing authorization (MA) together with some ancillary costs.
The regulatory filing process has commenced and Easton has forwarded funds directly to Ackerman Pharma who is overseeing the submission and has received the necessary documents from Biolyse Pharma. Once the completed and translated submission package is ready, it will be put in "fast-track" status through a government-approved, third-party authorized reviewer, and if no further documentation is required, the approval could be granted in a few short months. Biolyse's "Paclitaxel" is already approved in Canada and several other countries worldwide, and "Docetaxel" has been filed for approval with Health Canada.
The majority of sales in Mexico will be to the Mexican government hospitals and institutions. As Canada is part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canadian-manufactured pharmaceuticals qualify for the national tender program in Mexico, providing a major advantage over other non-NAFTA manufacturers. The "Docetaxel" market in Mexico is by itself approximately US$15 MM annually, and BMV expects to be able to garner 20% of that within a year of launch, expected in late 2015 or early 2016, growing to 30% within three years. The total generic cancer drug market in Mexico represents hundreds of millions of dollars.
In other Latin American countries BMV/Easton expect to sell in aggregate an equal amount of Biolyse's cancer drugs as in Mexico, and some of these other countries have a more streamlined regulatory approval process, allowing BMV to begin selling almost immediately pending distribution arrangements with local companies. In these other Latin American markets, the buying of cancer drugs mimics the Mexican model, in that government agencies allow for tender bids to meet their forecasted annual supply.
Biolyse Pharma is currently selling "Paclitaxel" in Canada and other countries around the world and currently has an overwhelming majority of the Canadian market. Biolyse has been credited with substantially bringing down the costs for "Paclitaxel" in Canada from $30,000 a few years ago. Both "Paclitaxel" and "Docetaxel" are generic drugs and are amongst the most commonly prescribed for several of the most common cancers including breast, lung and ovarian cancers. In addition, "Docetaxel" is extremely difficult to manufacture with only a limited number of companies worldwide possessing the knowhow and facilities to manufacture these and other cancer drugs. As previously stated, the securing of the distribution agreement by BMV for these drugs is another major achievement and BMV/Easton have now secured a full line of diagnostic, cancer and other drugs.
The Cancer drugs distribution agreement and investment by Easton in BMV builds on the previously announced agreement with Easton and BMV securing the exclusive rights to market and sell CommonSense Ltd's VS-Sense women's diagnostic products for Mexico, geared towards its 70 million female population where 1 in 3 women will at some point require the use of the test. Easton / BMV will shortly announce its trademarked white labeled name for the products similar to what are currently being sold in CVS, Walgreen's drug stores in the US, and Shoppers Drug Mart stores in Canada.
A 20% share of the Mexican and other Latin American markets could represent tens of millions of dollars in revenues, as overall pharmaceutical sales in Latin America are growing at five times the rate as compared to Canada and the US (12-15 % vs 2-3%). The cancer drugs industry is considered a high value business segment to be part of as cancer drugs are expected to surpass cardiovascular drugs as the biggest selling drugs in the world. Every major government body around the world has indicated that cancer will continue to impact more and more people and lives around the world especially in countries possessing an aging population. In addition, Easton remains committed to its own early stage cancer drug "Xilive," which it purchased rights for in late 2013. The Company anticipates working out a deal with the majority owner of "Xilive" where Easton will acquire majority control in exchange for a percentage of future royalties and shares of Easton's common stock.
In other news:
Easton's distribution partner Nutrashop Global is near to securing an initial wholesale sale of Easton's OTC therapeutic products estimated to be over $100,000 in value which Easton expects to book for its current quarter.
Easton is also currently involved in an independent thorough evaluation of its Vaporizer business, which it purchased in November of 2014. Depending on the evaluation, Easton may sell this segment of its business in order to focus more on cancer drugs, women's health products and its Medical Marijuana initiatives, which will represent a much bigger portion of total sales compared to Vaporizers. A decision is expected to be made within the next 30 to 45 days and will not be made lightly.
Easton Pharmaceuticals will be shortly announcing changes and additions to management, directors and advisors as a result of its recently announced agreements.
About Biolyse Parma
Biolyse Parma Currently maintains a 130,000 sq. ft. facility Licensed aseptic GMP facility, as well as GLP analytical laboratories, Research and Development Facilities, Large scale extraction, purification facility, and possesses Multidisciplinary teams of various scientific expertise. Biolyse Pharma Corp. is a research driven, fully integrated pharmaceutical company headquartered in St. Catherine, Ontario, Canada dedicated to the manufacturing, marketing, distribution of anti-cancer drugs.
For More Information Visit: http://www.biolyse.com
About Easton Pharmaceuticals
Easton Pharmaceuticals is a diversified specialty pharmaceutical company involved in various pharmaceutical sectors and other growing industries such as medical marijuana. The Company previously developed and owned an FDA approved wound-healing drug and currently owns topically delivered drugs to treat cancer and other conditions that are all in various stages of development and approval. Easton has entered into a 50 / 50 revenue sharing agreement towards being the exclusive distributor in Mexico and Latin America for patented women's diagnostic products and two generic cancer products. Easton has completed an acquisition that grants 40% ownership interest in Medicated Markets International LLC; a company holding Medical Marijuana growing rights in California on 20 acres (3 acre growing area). Easton has also made additional investments into AMFIL Technologies, a company who own rights to a product called the groZONE anti-microbial airflow system and hold an exclusive option to purchase up to 49% in a (MMPR) medical marijuana grow-op business post granting of license from Health Canada in Ontario, which has received a letter to build from Health Canada. The company's gel formulation is thought to be an innovative and unique transdermal delivery system that can in the future be adaptable in the delivery of other drugs and Cannabidiol extracts.
For More Information Visit:
http://www.eastonpharmaceuticalsinc.com
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http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=eaph
https://twitter.com/eastonpharma
Safe Harbor
This news release may contain forward-looking statements or expressions within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (The "Act"). In particular, when certain words or phrases such as "hope", "positive", "anticipate," "pleased," "plan," "confident that," "believe," "expect," "possible" or "intent to" and similar conditional expressions are expressed, they are intended to identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Act and are subject to the safe harbor created by the Act. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and actual results could differ materially from those expressed in any of the forward-looking statements. Any investment made into Easton Pharmaceuticals would be classified as speculative and may contain risks. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, market conditions, general acceptance of the company's products and technologies, competitive factors, the ability to successfully complete additional or adequate financing, government approvals or changes to proposed laws and other risks and uncertainties further stated in the company's financial reports and filings.