Vernalis acquires Moxatag (amoxicillin extended-release) from Pragma Pharma to treat tonsillitis and/or pharyngitis
Vernalis announced that it has acquired the US rights to Moxatag (amoxicillin extended-release tablets) from Pragma Pharmaceuticals. Pragma acquired Moxatag from Shionogi in March 2014.
Moxatag is the first and only approved once-daily formulation of the antibiotic amoxicillin. Vernalis expect to re-launch the finished dose product by the end of 2015.
Approved by the FDA in 2008, Moxatag is a penicillin-class antibacterial indicated for the treatment of tonsillitis and/or pharyngitis secondary to Streptococcus pyogenes in adults and paediatric patients 12 years of age or older. It was approved based on a Phase III efficacy study and is protected by six Orange Book listed patents, the last of which expires in 2027. It has not been actively promoted since 2010.
Comment: The product offers patients a significant advantage in that treatment requires just one pill a day, while other amoxicillin-based tablets need to be taken two-three times daily for 10 days, depending on the severity of the infection.