Copenhagen, Denmark; February 4, 2010 – Genmab A/S (OMX: GEN) announced today that the U.S. net sales for Arzerra (ofatumumab) during the fourth quarter of 2009 were approximately DKK 29 million (approximately USD 5.5 million).  Under the terms of the collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Genmab expects to receive a royalty payment of approximately DKK 6 million (approximately USD 1.1 million).  

“We are very pleased to see the first sales figures for Arzerra and we believe that they reflect the need for new treatment options for patients with refractory CLL,” said Lisa N. Drakeman, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Genmab.  

Arzerra was approved by the FDA in October, 2009, for the treatment of patients in the U.S. with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) that is refractory to fludarabine and alemtuzumab, and was launched by GSK in mid-November, 2009. 

 

Arzerra is a monoclonal antibody that causes the body’s immune response to fight against normal and cancerous B-cells.  Arzerra attaches to the small and large loop epitopes – on a molecule called CD20, which is found on the surface of B-cells, the type of cell that becomes cancerous in CLL.