Acrux simplifies KV deal

Melbourne's Acrux [ASX: ACR] and US partner KV have expanded their license and product development agreement, based on Acrux's drug delivery spray technology.

A transdermal product has already been licensed to KV and commercialised in the US under the name Evamist, a hormone therapy for women.

Acrux maintains the rights to launch the product in the rest of the world, and intends to roll the product out under the name Ellavie.

Under the new agreement, Acrux will be allowed to use data from KV's FDA application in regulatory filings for all territories outside the US.

KV has also licensed the underlying transdermal spray technology from Acrux, which is developing six new products, including three hormone products, a smoking cessation spray and one for chronic pain.

The agreement has also simplified the licensing regime - under the earlier agreement, Evamist was licensed to Vivus Incorporated, which then sub-licensed the product to KV.

In the new arrangement Acrux licenses the product directly to KV.