Theramex has entered into an agreement with Viatris to acquire the European rights to Duphaston (dydrogesterone) and Femoston (estradiol + dydrogesterone).
The transaction between UK-headquartered Theramex and Viatrisis is subject to customary regulatory and anti-trust approvals. Financials of the deal were not disclosed.
The deal is part of a $3.37bn divestiture plan by Viatris to focus on core areas and help pay off debt. Viatris will retain the rights to the compounds in Australia and Japan.
Dydrogesterone and estradiol + dydrogesteroneare are used for the treatment of women’s health, including menstrual disorders and hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Dydrogesterone is a progesterone receptor agonist whereas estradiol is an estrogen receptor agonist.
Data from Openprescribing.net shows that the number of female sex hormones and their modulators prescribed in the UK has been increasing steadily in recent years, peaking at 989,323 items in July 2023 – leading to a total spend of £14.6m ($17.9m).
This has led to shortages of several HRTs, including Besins Healthcare’s Utrogestan (progesterone) and Theramex’s FemSeven (estradiol) products.
Theramex CEO Rob Stewart said: “As we continue to strengthen our commitment to women’s health and improve our patients access to high quality treatments, we are excited to acquire new products to expand our Menopause portfolio.”
PAI Partners and Carlyle acquired Theramex from CVC Capital Partners in March 2022. The deal was worth around $1.4bn, as reported by Bloomberg and City A.M. at the time.
