Pharming announces sale of priority review voucher

LEIDEN, The Netherlands, June 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pharming Group N.V. ("Pharming" or "the Company") (EURONEXT Amsterdam: PHARM/Nasdaq: PHAR) announces that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Novartis Pharma A.G. ("Novartis") to sell its Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher (PRV) to Novartis for a pre-agreed, one-time payment of approximately US$21.1 million shortly after closing.

Pharming was granted the PRV by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2023 in connection with the approval of Joenja® (leniolisib); an oral, selective PI3Kδ inhibitor, for activated phosphoinositide 3-kinase delta (PI3Kδ) syndrome (APDS), a rare and progressive primary immunodeficiency, in adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older.

Pursuant to the terms of the August 2019 exclusive license agreement between Pharming and Novartis for leniolisib, Novartis has the right to purchase the PRV from Pharming for a pre-agreed, contractually defined percentage of the PRV value.

Jeroen Wakkerman, Chief Financial Officer of Pharming, said:

"The sale of the PRV will further strengthen Pharming's financial position and help fund pipeline developments, including new indications for leniolisib. We remain committed to growing a portfolio of medicines in rare diseases, which have the potential to transform the lives of patients and working towards our goal of becoming a leading global rare disease company dedicated to patient communities with unmet medical needs."

About the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher (PRV) Program

The program is intended to encourage development of new drug and biological products for prevention and treatment of certain rare pediatric diseases. A PRV may be issued to the sponsor of a rare pediatric disease product application and entitles the holder to priority review of a single New Drug Application or Biologics License Application, which reduces the target review time and could lead to an expedited approval. The sponsor receives the PRV upon approval of the rare pediatric disease product application and it can be sold without limitation, subject to applicable FDA requirements for filing and use.

About Pharming Group N.V.

Pharming Group N.V. (EURONEXT Amsterdam: PHARM/Nasdaq: PHAR) is a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming the lives of patients with rare, debilitating, and life-threatening diseases. Pharming is commercializing and developing an innovative portfolio of protein replacement therapies and precision medicines, including small molecules, biologics, and gene therapies that are in early to late-stage development. Pharming is headquartered in Leiden, Netherlands, and has employees around the globe who serve patients in over 30 markets in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

For more information, visit www.pharming.com and find us on LinkedIn.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as "aim", "ambition", ''anticipate'', ''believe'', ''could'', ''estimate'', ''expect'', ''goals'', ''intend'', ''may'', "milestones", ''objectives'', ''outlook'', ''plan'', ''probably'', ''project'', ''risks'', "schedule", ''seek'', ''should'', ''target'', ''will'' and similar terms and phrases. Examples of forward-looking statements may include statements with respect to timing and progress of Pharming's preclinical studies and clinical trials of its product candidates, Pharming's clinical and commercial prospects, and Pharming's expectations regarding its projected working capital requirements and cash resources, which statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, but not limited to the scope, progress and expansion of Pharming's clinical trials and ramifications for the cost thereof; and clinical, scientific, regulatory and technical developments. In light of these risks and uncertainties, and other risks and uncertainties that are described in Pharming's 2022 Annual Report and the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the events and circumstances discussed in such forward-looking statements may not occur, and Pharming's actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied thereby. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on information available to Pharming as of the date of this release. Pharming does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any.

Inside Information

This press release relates to the disclosure of information that qualifies, or may have qualified, as inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

For further public information, contact:

Pharming Group, Leiden, The Netherlands
Michael Levitan, VP Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
T: +1 (908) 705 1696

Heather Robertson, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Manager
E: [email protected] 

FTI Consulting, London, UK
Victoria Foster Mitchell/Alex Shaw/Amy Byrne 
T: +44 203 727 1000

LifeSpring Life Sciences Communication, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Leon Melens 
T: +31 6 53 81 64 27 
E: [email protected]

SOURCE Pharming Group N.V.