Cumberland Pharmaceuticals recently announced the addition of Vibativ® (telavancin) to its growing product lineup. The Nashville-headquartered specialty pharmaceutical company entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Vibativ from Theravance Biopharma in the fourth quarter of 2018.
The FDA-approved injectable antibiotic is used for the treatment of certain serious bacterial infections including hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia and complicated skin & skin structure infections. It addresses a range of Gram-positive bacterial pathogens, including those that are considered difficult-to-treat and multidrug-resistant.
"Vibativ is a lifesaving product for certain difficult to treat infections, and we are honored to be selected to acquire and transition the brand to our existing hospital acute care infrastructure," said Cumberland Pharmaceuticals CEO A.J. Kazimi, "Our immediate plan for Vibativ is to ensure a smooth transition of the product supply and medical support to current users of the brand. We will then launch our hospital promotion and medical initiatives to help ensure that the product is available to the patients who need it. We are very optimistic about the opportunity that Vibativ will offer Cumberland."
The financial terms include a $20 million payment to Theravance Biopharma upon closing, a $5 million additional payment in early 2019, and tiered royalties of up to 20 percent on future U.S. net product sales. Under the terms of the agreement, Cumberland will assume full responsibility for the product including its marketing, distribution, manufacturing and regulatory activities. Kazimi said Cumberland expects to selectively expand its sales force, medical science liaison and corporate teams to ensure the needed support of Vibativ, as well as its oncology and acute care brands.