Citius Oncology inks distribution services agreement with Cencora for LYMPHIR launch.

Citius Oncology, a subsidiary of Citius Pharmaceuticals, has signed a distribution services agreement with Cencora to expand its commercial infrastructure and launch readiness for LYMPHIR, its FDA-approved immunotherapy for relapsed or refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. This agreement enhances the company's commercial distribution network, providing additional access and product availability upon launch.

Citius Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTOR), a majority-owned subsidiary of Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTXR), has executed a distribution services agreement with Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen), a global pharmaceutical services company. This agreement marks a significant step forward in Citius Oncology's commercial launch strategy for LYMPHIR™ (denileukin diftitox-cxdl), its FDA-approved immunotherapy for relapsed or refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).

The new agreement expands Citius Oncology's commercial distribution network, providing additional access and product availability upon the launch of LYMPHIR. Under the terms of the agreement, Cencora will serve as a wholesale distributor for LYMPHIR, offering specialty distribution services to facilitate product availability across its network. This partnership builds on a previously announced distribution services agreement, supporting long-term scalability and market reach for LYMPHIR.

Leonard Mazur, Chairman and CEO of Citius Oncology and Citius Pharmaceuticals, stated, "As we move closer to the U.S. market introduction of LYMPHIR, we remain focused on disciplined execution across all key commercial readiness activities. Our agreement with Cencora adds further depth to our distribution strategy and strengthens our ability to deliver LYMPHIR to treatment centers across the country. These foundational partnerships demonstrate our ongoing commitment to building a launch platform that supports near-term revenue and long-term shareholder value."

LYMPHIR is a targeted immune therapy for relapsed or refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), indicated for use in Stage I-III disease after at least one prior systemic therapy. It is a recombinant fusion protein that combines the IL-2 receptor binding domain with diphtheria toxin fragments. LYMPHIR was approved by the FDA in August 2024.

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma is a type of cutaneous non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that comes in a variety of forms and is the most common type of cutaneous lymphoma. In CTCL, T-cells, a type of lymphocyte that plays a role in the immune system, become cancerous and develop into skin lesions, leading to a decrease in the quality of life of patients with this disease due to severe pain and pruritus. Mycosis Fungoides (MF) and Sézary Syndrome (SS) comprise the majority of CTCL cases. Depending on the type of CTCL, the disease may progress slowly and can take anywhere from several years to upwards of ten to potentially reach tumor stage. However, once the disease reaches this stage, the cancer is highly malignant and can spread to the lymph nodes and internal organs, resulting in a poor prognosis. Given the duration of the disease, patients typically cycle through multiple agents to control disease progression. CTCL affects men twice as often as women and is typically first diagnosed in patients between the ages of 50 and 60 years of age. Other than allogeneic stem cell transplantation, for which only a small fraction of patients qualify, there is currently no curative therapy for advanced CTCL.

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[1] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/citius-oncology-expands-distribution-network-for-lymphir-with-execution-of-distribution-services-agreement-with-cencora-302502730.html