DLA Piper has advised the Vienna based drug developer Panoptes Pharma in connection with a strategic partnership with Mediolanum Laboratoires Leurquin S.A, a subsidiary of the Italian pharmaceutical company Mediolanum Farmaceutici S.p.a.

Mediolanum acquires the marketing rights in two European countries for the molecule PP-001, which is currently in preclinical development for the treatment of inflammatory and viral-induced eye diseases. The marketing rights for the rest of Europe remain with Panoptes. Furthermore Panoptes receives an upfront payment and is eligible for future profit shares.

"This mandate required both detailed specialist know-how in the life sciences industry as well as profound experience with cross-border agreements", says Christoph Mager, partner and head of Corporate at DLA Piper in Austria. "I am pleased with the successful conclusion of this promising cooperation." The DLA Piper team was led by Christoph Mager and included senior lead lawyer Johanna Höltl.

Panoptes is a privately held biotech company based in Vienna. It was founded to develop medicines for eye diseases with high unmet medical need. Primary indications are the chronic and autoimmune disease Uveitis and an adenoviral-induced and highly contagious form of conjunctivitis.

Mediolanum is a private pharmaceutical group headquartered in Milan. The company is engaged in the research, development and marketing of drugs. Currently the group has 450 employees and an annual turnover of around 200 million euros.