Vensica Therapeutics Inks Strategic Partnership with Merz

Vensica Therapeutics (“Vensica”), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, announced that it has signed a strategic collaboration agreement with Merz Therapeutics, a business of the Merz Group and a leader in the field of neurotoxins. Vensica has licensed Merz’s botulinum neurotoxin A (Xeomin) for needle-free use in urological procedures. Merz has acquired an equity position in Vensica.

Vensica’s needle-free platform for drug delivery, will be utilized for botulinum toxin type A delivery into the urinary bladder for the treatment of different urology indications including overactive bladder, neurogenic bladder, and interstitial cystitis. Today’s gold standard treatment requires needle injections of the neurotoxin into the bladder wall. Vensica’s needle-free platform makes for a far superior patient experience and resolves many needle-associated issues, including pain, urinary retention, and a generally more complicated procedure. The Vensica platform is expected to enable more efficacious treatment through more uniform delivery of the neurotoxin.

Vensica’s distribution of its delivery device, combined with Merz’s Xeomin provides urologists with a full platform solution and enhanced patient experience.

Vensica CEO Avner Geva commented, “This agreement allows Vensica to accelerate our clinical trials and regulatory process. Additionally, the Vensica-Merz complete platform allows expansion of the number of urological indications that can be treated, including bladder cancer.”

Vensica Chair, Nissim Darvish, M.D., Ph.D., added, “With the licensing of Xeomin®, a highly purified neurotoxin, we’ve achieved an important milestone for the company. Our unique, needle-free delivery system unlocks the potential of neurotoxins for urology and beyond.”

“The collaboration with Vensica is a great example for our Merz Corporate Venture Capital Initiative,” states Jörg Bergler, COO Merz Group. “Here, we are investing globally in companies who are pursuing innovative, breakthrough science. As an experienced partner, we are not only granting Vensica access to our toxin but also offer know-how and experience for the development and preparation of the regulatory approval process in an advisory capacity.”

Stefan Brinkmann, CEO Merz Therapeutics: “This strategic, long-term partnership with Vensica allows us to expand into the attractive market of overactive bladder. It perfectly reflects the potential and capabilities of our neurotoxin platform for the development of sizeable non-movement disorder indications, pursuing our promise to create better outcomes for more patients. We strongly believe in the innovative and less invasive treatment of bladder diseases using Vensica’s ultrasound-assisted delivery catheter and are therefore looking forward to bringing this new treatment option to the patients together with our partner Vensica.”