The pharmaceutical companies Debiopharm and Ipsen have extended their agreement for the development, manufacturing, and distribution of Decapeptyl (triptorelin), used in the treatment of endometriosis. This partnership, which began in the 1980s, will now last until at least 2034.
“We are delighted to renew and extend this partnership with Debiopharm. This collaboration has been — and continues to be — a testament to our commitment to patients and our shared passion with strategic partners,” Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch, executive vice president and chief business officer of Ipsen, said in a press release.
Decapeptyl is an analogue of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), produced naturally by the body. Like other GnRH receptor agonists, Decapeptyl works by binding receptors in the pituitary gland, which causes changes in the body’s production of hormones.
In endometriosis, Decapeptyl causes the body to produce less estrogen by activating GnRH receptors in the pituitary gland to such a level that they become desensitized to the normal GnRH signals the body sends. The lack of estrogen, in turn, causes endometrial lesions to shrink and reduces pain and inflammation.
In addition to treating endometriosis, Decapeptyl is used to treat locally advanced prostate cancer (both metastatic and non-metastatic), uterine fibroids, central precocious puberty, and endocrine-responsive early-stage breast cancer.
It is administered via an injection under the skin or into muscles. It is available in formulations that last for one, three, or six months.
The companies say the extended partnership will allow them to better make and distribute Decapeptyl in Europe, as well as in some parts of Asia and Africa.
In addition, under the terms of the extension, the companies will work together to develop new formulations of Decapeptyl. They will also explore other patient populations in which the medication might be beneficial.
“Our continued partnership remains critical to ensure that patients maintain access to Decapeptyl therapy for their various conditions,” said Tierry Mauvernay, the president and delegate of the board group at Debiopharm. “Furthermore, this renewed agreement represents an opportunity to refine and refocus our collaboration by further exploring our co-development capacity to potentially identify how Decapeptyl can respond to more unmet patient needs.”