Jazz Pharmaceuticals Acquires Global Rights to SAN2355 for $42.5M Upfront Payment

Jazz Pharmaceuticals has entered a global license agreement with Saniona for SAN2355, a preclinical epilepsy treatment. Jazz will lead and fund development, regulatory submissions, and commercialization activities. Saniona will receive an upfront payment of $42.5M, as well as potential milestone and royalty payments. The agreement allows Jazz to develop a subtype-selective Kv7.2/Kv7.3 activator, overcoming limitations of non-selective Kv7-targeting compounds.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (Nasdaq: JAZZ) has entered into a global license agreement with Saniona (Nasdaq OMX: SANION) to develop and commercialize SAN2355, a highly differentiated, subtype-selective Kv7.2/Kv7.3 activator in preclinical development for epilepsy and other potential indications. The agreement, announced on August 20, 2025, grants Jazz exclusive worldwide rights to lead and fund further development, regulatory submissions, and global commercialization activities.

Under the terms of the agreement, Saniona will receive an upfront payment of US $42.5 million. Additionally, Saniona is eligible for up to US $192.5 million in development and regulatory milestones, including a US $7.5 million milestone payment upon initiation of the first Phase 1 clinical study. Saniona may also receive up to US $800 million in commercial milestone payments based on the achievement of significant and pre-specified annual net sales thresholds. The agreement includes tiered royalties ranging from the mid-single digits to low-double digits on net sales of commercial products resulting from the development of SAN2355.

SAN2355 is a preclinical, selective small molecule activator of Kv7.2/Kv7.3 potassium channels, a mechanism validated for seizure suppression. Prior Kv7-targeting agents have demonstrated clinical efficacy but have been limited by adverse events associated with off-target activation. SAN2355's unique selectivity for Kv7.2/Kv7.3, the Kv7-subtypes responsible for seizure suppression, enables it to deliver optimal dosing and supports its potential as a best-in-class treatment for epilepsy.

Thomas Feldthus, CEO of Saniona, commented, "Our collaboration with Jazz leverages their leading position in epilepsy and their strong track record of rapidly advancing clinical development programs and effectively commercializing novel therapies in neuroscience. This agreement positions SAN2355 as a promising option for epilepsy and neurological conditions while enabling us to advance several of our other valuable pipeline programs to key inflection points."

Robert Iannone, M.D., M.S.C.E., executive vice president, global head of research and development, and chief medical officer of Jazz Pharmaceuticals, stated, "SAN2355 is a unique and highly promising preclinical asset that has the potential to become a best-in-class Kv7 activator for the treatment of epilepsy. We are pleased to enter this exclusive agreement with Saniona to lead the SAN2355 clinical development program."

The agreement underscores Jazz Pharmaceuticals' commitment to developing life-changing medicines for people with serious diseases, while also expanding treatment possibilities for patients in need.

References:
[1] https://investor.jazzpharma.com/news-releases/news-release-details/jazz-pharmaceuticals-enters-exclusive-licensing-agreement
[2] https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/jazz-pharmaceuticals-enters-exclusive-licensing-agreement-saniona-develop-and