Juvisé Pharmaceuticals Acquires Multiple Sclerosis Drug PONVORY® (ex-US/Canada) and Opens Its Capital to Bpifrance and Pemberton
The French pharmaceutical company, Juvisé Pharmaceuticals, announces the acquisition of global commercial rights (excluding the United States and Canada) to Ponvory® (ponesimod) from Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd., a Johnson & Johnson Company (Johnson & Johnson). Ponvory® is indicated for the treatment of adults with active forms of relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS); it is protected by several patents, the latest of which expires in 2035. To fund this acquisition, the French sovereign fund Bpifrance and Pemberton Asset Management (‘Pemberton’), a leading European private credit manager, have acquired a minority stake in Juvisé Pharmaceuticals. Financial details of these transactions remain undisclosed.
“We are very excited about Ponvory® and its potential to have a very positive impact on the lives of patients with multiple sclerosis” announces Frédéric Mascha, founder and President of Juvisé Pharmaceuticals. “This acquisition is a strategic step for Juvisé as it expands our portfolio with the first patent protected product with strong development potential over the coming years. It is in line with what we have been doing for the past 16 years, which is providing essential medications to patients and specialist doctors. Following our latest partnerships established with Novartis, AstraZeneca and AbbVie, we are proud to establish a new partnership with a major pharmaceutical company and to have two strong partners such as Bpifrance and Pemberton enter our capital to support our future growth.”
The acquisition of Ponvory®: a strategic move in Juvisé Pharmaceuticals' growth strategy
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune pathology affecting over 2.5 million patients worldwide and enjoys therapeutic innovation.
Ponvory® (ponesimod) is a first-line treatment option in active forms of relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS), which is the most common form of the disease (approximately 80% of patients), affecting particularly women around the age of 30-years-old. Ponvory® is the first oral Disease Modifying Treatment (DMT) to demonstrate superior efficacy compared to teriflunomide in a large head-to-head Phase III study (OPTIMUM) in adult patients with active RMS. Ponvory® demonstrated a 30.5% reduction in Annualized Relapse Rate (primary endpoint), as well as reduction in MRI activity and fatigue (secondary endpoints). (1)
Juvisé Pharmaceuticals will leverage its expertise in medical affairs, marketing, and distribution to commercialize and develop Ponvory® outside of the United States and Canada, with a focus on Europe, skills that the company has already demonstrated with the successful European relaunch of Pylera® in 2023. Juvisé Pharmaceuticals will work closely with Johnson & Johnson to ensure a seamless transition and continuous availability of Ponvory® for patients. Ponvory® is currently available in 30 countries, with the objective of expanding this scope. Finally, Juvisé Pharmaceuticals will assume the worldwide manufacturing duties for Ponvory® from sites based in France and Switzerland.
Juvisé Pharmaceuticals opens its capital to Bpifrance and Pemberton
The acquisition of Ponvory® is funded by a mix of capital increase, additional debt, and shareholder loan.
Bpifrance, the French sovereign fund financing businesses in their development, and Pemberton, a leading European private credit manager, have acquired a minority stake in Juvisé as part of the transaction.
About Juvisé Pharmaceuticals
Since its creation in 2008, Juvisé Pharmaceuticals has played a pivotal role in enhancing patient care by providing access to treatments with high medical value. Juvisé re-prioritized essential medicines in oncology (breast and prostate cancer), cardiology, gastroenterology, neuropsychiatry, and rheumatology, making them accessible to over 4.4 million patients every year. Juvisé Pharmaceuticals is present through its products in 80 countries in the world on five continents and relocates the production of its acquired medications in Europe, with 81% being manufactured in Europe and 51% in France. In 2024, Juvisé Pharmaceuticals revenues are expected to reach about 180M€ (+38% vs 2023) with PONVORY® accounting for about 24%.
For more information, visit www.juvisepharmaceuticals.com
Lazard acted as financial advisor to Juvisé Pharmaceuticals and its shareholders.
Bird & Bird, Latham & Watkins and Bredin Prat acted as legal counsel to Juvisé Pharmaceuticals.
Société Générale remains the lead banking partner for Juvisé Pharmaceuticals.
1. Kappos L, Fox RJ, Burcklen M, Freedman MS, Havrdová EK, Hennessy B, Hohlfeld R, Lublin F, Montalban X, Pozzilli C, Scherz T, D'Ambrosio D, Linscheid P, Vaclavkova A, Pirozek-Lawniczek M, Kracker H, Sprenger T. Ponesimod Compared With Teriflunomide in Patients With Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis in the Active-Comparator Phase 3 OPTIMUM Study: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurol. 2021 May 1;78(5):558-567. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2021.0405. PMID: 33779698; PMCID: PMC8008435
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240325471791/en/
Contact information
Juvisé Corporate communication contact
Caroline Tranvouez
Chief of staff to the CEO
+33 6 65 20 15 74
caroline.tranvouez@juvise.com
Media Relations contact
Nicolas Delaval
CLAI agency
+33 6 58 29 21 15
juvise@clai2.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Logical Intelligence Introduces First Energy-Based Reasoning AI Model, Signals Early Steps Toward AGI, Adds Yann LeCun and Patrick Hillmann to Leadership21.1.2026 20:21:00 EET | Press release
Logical Intelligence, an artificial intelligence company developing energy-based (EBM) reasoning systems, today announced that Kona 1.0, its pioneering EBM for reasoning, will enter pilot programs with select partners in the energy, advanced manufacturing, and semiconductor industries later this quarter. Logical Intelligence also released a live demonstration of Kona 1.0 on its website, beginning with head-to-head sudoku challenges against leading large language models. Additional demonstrations, including chess and Go, are planned. The company said the goal is to give researchers and the public a clear view into how energy-based reasoning differs from probabilistic systems. “Kona learns by recognizing and correcting its own mistakes, rather than guessing the most likely answer,” said Eve Bodnia, founder and CEO of Logical Intelligence. “If general intelligence means the ability to reason across domains, learn from error, and improve without being retrained for each task, then we are s
Galderma Provides Update on Arbitration Case Regarding Neuromodulator Research and Development Partnership21.1.2026 18:35:00 EET | Press release
Galderma (SIX:GALD), the pure-play dermatology category leader, today announced that an International Chamber of Commerce arbitral tribunal issued an award confirming the termination of a 2014 neuromodulator research & development partnership with Ipsen. The partnership was limited to the rights and obligations relating to the companies’ early-stage neuromodulator pipeline for aesthetic indications. Galderma welcomes the clarity provided by the arbitral tribunal. This decision has no impact on the commercialization of Galderma’s neuromodulator portfolio. Galderma will continue to commercialize and supply Dysport®/Azzalure®, Alluzience®, and RelfydessTM in all territories where it has regulatory approval and in accordance with our existing agreements with our partner Ipsen. Progressing on our path towards becoming the undisputed dermatology powerhouse Galderma remains focused on its ambition to become the world’s undisputed dermatology powerhouse across the full spectrum of a fast-growi
ThetaRay Appoints Financial Markets Technology Leader Brad Levy as Chief Executive Officer21.1.2026 18:00:00 EET | Press release
ThetaRay, a global leader in Cognitive AI financial crime compliance, today announced the appointment of Brad Levy as Chief Executive Officer. Levy, a leading financial markets infrastructure executive and former CEO of Symphony, will lead ThetaRay’s next phase of growth as the company continues to scale its Cognitive AI platform, now emerging as the leading AI strategy and technology for transaction monitoring and transaction due diligence, across banks and fintechs worldwide. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260121002476/en/ ThetaRay Appoints Brad Levy as CEO Levy brings decades of experience building and leading mission-critical financial infrastructure at scale. Most recently, he served as CEO of Symphony, the financial markets infrastructure and technology platform established by a consortium of leading global banks, including Goldman Sachs and other major financial institutions, and relied upon by hundred
HCL Group and UpLink Announce Winners of ‘Water Resilience Challenge’ Under the Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative21.1.2026 17:02:00 EET | Press release
HCL Group, a leading global conglomerate, and UpLink, the World Economic Forum’s early-stage innovation initiative, have announced the winners of the ‘Water Resilience Challenge,’ the fourth in a series of five challenges under the five-year, CHF 15 million Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative launched by HCL Group. The announcement marks a significant step in the ongoing mission to address global water challenges through innovation and entrepreneurship. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260121697759/en/ Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of HCL Group, congratulates the winners of ‘Water Resilience Challenge’ under the Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative in Davos. After evaluating over 300 submissions from around the world, 10 Aquapreneurs from nine countries were selected for their innovative solutions in the freshwater sector. This year’s winners, termed ‘UpLink Ventures and Aquapreneurs,’ represent a diverse set o
Weber Expands Smart Grilling Portfolio to Create the Backyard's First Seamless, Smart Ecosystem21.1.2026 17:00:00 EET | Press release
Weber, one of the global leaders in high-performance, high-quality outdoor cooking technology and products, today unveiled its 2026 lineup of grills and accessories. The new portfolio delivers a totally seamless smart ecosystem for grilling by connecting smart grills, accessories, and the WEBER CONNECT® App across all major fuel types to elevate the everyday with more confidence, control, and consistently delicious results. The 2026 lineup expands smart cooking options for charcoal grilling with the Performer® Smart Charcoal Grill and Kettle Smart Ring. Updated models of the popular GENESIS® and SPIRIT® smart gas grills feature Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® enabled, battery-operated digital thermometers. The new Smart Wireless Probe Plus with Booster and Charger can be used with any grill, enabling precise temperature monitoring regardless of fuel type. All Weber smart products—grills, accessories, and the WEBER CONNECT App—sync to create an integrated, connected cooking experience. “The Weber
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom