Medicus Pharma (NASDAQ:MDCX) said on Thursday its subsidiary Antev Ltd has amended a licensing agreement with UK-based medical research organization LifeArc, reducing future royalties tied to the experimental drug Teverelix, a move the company said improves the asset’s long-term commercial profile.
Under the revised agreement, royalties payable on worldwide net sales of Teverelix have been cut to 2% from about 4%, with the royalty term clarified on a country-by-country basis, Medicus said.
The amendment does not change the scope of the license, intellectual property rights or development responsibilities of either party.
Medicus CEO Raza Bokhari said the reduced royalty burden enhances Teverelix’s attractiveness for potential partners, particularly for late-stage development and commercialization. “This amendment substantially improves the long-term economic profile of Teverelix while preserving the strength and integrity of the underlying license,” Bokhari said in a statement.
Teverelix is a next-generation, long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist being developed primarily for prostate cancer. Unlike GnRH agonists, which can cause an initial hormone surge, Teverelix delivers immediate receptor antagonism, allowing rapid suppression of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone and downstream sex hormones without flare, the company said.
Medicus said the drug’s mechanism may be relevant for prostate cancer patients with elevated cardiovascular risk, although further clinical validation is required. Previous studies have not shown significant cardiovascular safety signals, according to the company.
The original license grants Medicus exclusive worldwide rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize Teverelix, including the ability to grant sublicenses. Medicus retains full operational control over development and commercialization and owns any program-specific improvements generated under the agreement.
LifeArc said the amendment reflects scientific progress and the expansion of the Teverelix intellectual property estate, aligning the parties under a simplified economic framework designed to support long-term development of the program.
Separately, the company said it remains on track to report near-term data from a Phase 2 trial of SkinJect, its dissolvable microneedle platform for the non-invasive treatment of basal cell carcinoma. Enrollment of 90 patients across nine US sites has been completed, with topline data expected in the first quarter of 2026 and an end-of-Phase 2 meeting with the US Food and Drug Administration planned for the first half of 2026.
Shares of Medicus opened 7.6% higher in New York on Thursday morning.