Juvisé Pharmaceuticals Acquires Multiple Sclerosis Drug PONVORY® (ex-US/Canada) and Opens Its Capital to Bpifrance and Pemberton
26.3.2024 17:09:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
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
Nebex Raises $30M Seed Round Led by GV to Build Market Infrastructure for the Global Space Economy29.6.2026 18:38:00 EEST | Press release
Nebex, the market infrastructure platform for the global space economy, announced a $30M seed investment led by GV (Google Ventures), with participation from other top-tier venture funds. The company also announced a banking relationship with J.P. Morgan. The capital raise and new banking relationship will help Nebex scale its platform and connect sovereign space programs with the founders and companies building new technologies to serve the space industry. "We built Nebex because we've seen firsthand that ambitious space founders struggle to deliver complex sovereign programs due to the lack of capital markets infrastructure that supports revenue and cashflow. This is something that exists in nearly every other industry," said Tejpaul Bhatia, CEO of Nebex. "Support from these organizations gives Nebex the additional leverage and financial infrastructure to build the global space economy at the scale it demands.” Since its inception, the space industry has run on a closed loop with a h
Medisca Enters Its Next Chapter Under Founder Antonio Dos Santos29.6.2026 17:19:00 EEST | Press release
For more than 35 years, Dos Santos has helped shape Medisca into a global leader in pharmaceutical compounding. As Chief Executive Officer, he will lead the company's long-term strategy, with a focus on expanding Medisca's global reach, investing in new areas of growth, strengthening strategic partnerships, and continuing to advance the products, services, education, and expertise that healthcare professionals rely on every day. "When I founded Medisca, my vision was to raise the standard of pharmaceutical compounding by bringing pharmaceutical-grade quality to the industry and giving healthcare professionals access to the products, knowledge, and innovation they needed to deliver better patient care," said Antonio Dos Santos, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Medisca. "That purpose continues to guide us. As we begin this next chapter, we'll keep investing in our people, our partnerships, and the innovation that will help shape the future of Medisca and the pharmaceutical compound
The Premier Jumping League (PJL) & McCarthy Jumping Team Announce Landmark Purchase29.6.2026 16:10:00 EEST | Press release
The Premier Jumping League (PJL) today announced that seasoned trader, investor, and competitive race car driver Jason McCarthy and McCarthy Jumping League LLC acquired the first PJL team in a landmark $50 million acquisition, building on rising momentum for the highly acclaimed professional jumping league. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260629512997/en/ The Premier Jumping League (PJL), photographed by Daniel Benson. The milestone investment represents an unprecedented valuation for a team in a newly established sports competition and underscores the confidence that sophisticated investors are placing in the PJL. The inaugural PJL season is scheduled to commence in April 2027. McCarthy brings extensive investment and trading experience to the League, having held leadership positions across the financial sector throughout his career. A graduate of MIT, McCarthy is the Founder and Managing Principal of a propr
InvestEco Sustainable Food Fund IV Holds a Final Close With Total Commitments of C$106M29.6.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
InvestEco Capital is pleased to announce the final close of the InvestEco Sustainable Food Fund IV. This fund will continue InvestEco’s work of investing in high-growth food companies that promote health and sustainability in the food sector. The Fund closed with total commitments of C$106M, the largest InvestEco fund to date. Investors include Farm Credit Canada, Export Development Canada, Business Development Bank of Canada, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, and two Government of Canada Social Finance Fund wholesalers: Boann and Realize Capital Partners. In addition, the Fund received commitments from a number of private investors and family offices. The Fund's investments to date include Humble Snacks, Little Sesame, Mid-Day Squares and Algae Cooking Club. The Fund expects to make a further 6 - 10 investments over the next few years. InvestEco Capital, founded in 2002, is a Toronto-based venture capital firm and impact investor focused on the sustainable food sector. For more information, em
Geoswift and SKUx Announce Strategic Partnership to Develop a First-of-Its-Kind Programmable Stablecoin Commerce Network29.6.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
Geoswift and SKUx announced a groundbreaking partnership to develop a next-generation programmable stablecoin commerce network. This strategic collaboration bridges digital assets, traditional finance, and real-world commerce at a global scale, representing a "one-of-one" opportunity by combining Geoswift's global infrastructure with SKUx's specialized item-level controls directly within point-of-sale (POS) systems. While enterprise stablecoin usage continues to accelerate globally, governments, enterprises, payment networks, and AI-driven commerce platforms are increasingly seeking programmable payment infrastructure that can bridge digital assets with real-world commerce. The innovation goes far beyond treasury management or even enabling consumers to spend stablecoins at retail locations. Instead, it unlocks true "programmable money" with embedded controls, rules, and purpose-driven utility —requiring both programmable settlement and programmable spending controls. Geoswift and SKUx
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