Exhibit 99.1
Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Announces Definitive Agreement with Endo for Vigabatrin Tablets
CORAL GABLES, Fla., December 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Catalyst) (Nasdaq:CPRX), a biopharmaceuticalcompany focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapies for people with rare debilitating, chronic neuromuscular and neurological diseases,today announced that it has signed a Definitive Agreement with Endo International plc’s (NASDAQ: ENDP) subsidiary, Endo Ventures Limited, for the further development and commercialization of generic Sabril® (vigabatrin) tablets through Endo’s U.S. Generic Pharmaceuticals segment, doing business as Par Pharmaceutical. Pursuant to the agreement, Catalyst will receive anup-front payment, milestone payments based on achievement of regulatory approvals, and a sharing of defined net profits upon commercialization.
“We are very happy to work with Endo, to bring generic Sabril® tablets to market. Endo is an established leader in the generic vigabatrin marketplace,” said Patrick J. McEnany, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals. “Our search for an appropriate partner for this product was long but rewarding with this result. We look forward to bringing to market this important medication to improve the lives of patients.”
“Generic vigabatrin tablets will complement our current powder vigabatrin offering and will expand the number of patients that can benefit from having access to a high-quality, generic vigabatrin option,” said Brandon Rockwell, Senior Vice President, Business Development and Strategy of Endo.
Vigabatrin comes in two dosage forms – a powder sachet and a tablet. Par Pharmaceutical brought the first generic version of the powder sachet to market but at this time there is no approved generic version of the tablets.
About Catalyst Pharmaceutical
Catalyst Pharmaceutical is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapies for people with rare debilitating, chronic neuromuscular and neurological diseases, including LEMS, congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS), MuSK antibody positive myasthenia gravis(MuSK-MG), and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 3. Catalyst’s new drug application for Firdapse® (amifampridine) 10 mg tablets for the treatment of adults with Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS) was recently approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (“FDA”), and Firdapse® is expected to be commercially available in the United States early in the first quarter of 2019. Prior to its approval, Firdapse for LEMS had received breakthrough therapy designation and orphan drug designation from the FDA.
Firdapse® is currently being evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of CMS,MuSK-MG and SMA type 3 and has received Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA for CMS and myasthenia gravis. Firdapse (amifampridine) 10 mg tablets is the first and only approved drug in Europe for the symptomatic treatment in adults with LEMS.
