Cinclus Pharma, a clinical-stage Swedish biopharmaceutical company, has entered into a strategic partnership with Zentiva to commercialize and manufacture its lead drug candidate, linaprazan glurate, across Europe.
The agreement, valued at up to €220 million (approximately $247.9 million), includes an upfront payment of €13 million and a near-term milestone of €5 million, along with tiered double-digit royalties on future European sales.
The partnership grants Zentiva exclusive rights to commercialize and manufacture linaprazan glurate in all member states of the European Economic Area (EEA), as well as the UK and Switzerland. Cinclus Pharma will retain full commercial rights to the therapy in the US.
Following the deal announcement, Cinclus’ stock was up by over 58% in market trading today (22 May).
Linaprazan glurate was initially developed by AstraZeneca and tested in Phase I and II trials between 2001 and 2005. Cinclus Pharma, founded in 2014 by former AstraZeneca employees, acquired the rights to further develop the compound.
Linaprazan glurate is a next-generation potassium-competitive acid blocker (PCAB) designed to treat severe erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease (eGERD). The company plans to initiate Phase III trials in Q3 2025 to validate its efficacy and safety in treating severe eGERD.
“This alliance establishes a fully integrated set of capabilities covering everything necessary to bring linaprazan glurate to the market across Europe,” said Christer Ahlberg, CEO of Cinclus Pharma. “This collaboration not only de-risks our path to European approval but also positions us to capture significant global value, particularly in the US market where we retain full commercial rights and see a substantial commercial opportunity.”
“This partnership marks a key milestone for Zentiva as we continue expanding beyond generics into high-value specialty medicines,” said Martin Albert, Chief Scientific Officer at Zentiva. “With our strong pan-European platform, we’re proud to bring this innovative therapy to patients with severe GERD.”
