Pharmanovia licenses China-approved PARP drug for up to €423.5M
UK specialty pharma Pharmanovia has licensed senaparib, IMPACT Therapeutics’ oral PARP1/2 inhibitor, across 66 countries in a deal worth up to €423.5 million.
Why it matters: The agreement takes IMPACT’s first approved medicine beyond China and gives Pharmanovia a near-market ovarian cancer asset that is already under European regulatory review.
- It also expands Pharmanovia’s specialty-oncology business after the company launched catumaxomab in Germany for malignant ascites in December 2025. It is the first and only approved drug therapy for malignant ascites, a severe fluid buildup complication in advanced-stage cancer patients
Zoom in: Pharmanovia receives exclusive rights to manufacture, develop and commercialize senaparib across the EU, UK, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, as well as Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East and North Africa. The agreement does not cover China or the U.S.
- IMPACT is eligible for an undisclosed upfront payment, near-term regulatory milestones and commercial payments tied to sales thresholds. It could also receive tiered royalties reaching the mid-20% range on net sales.
How it works: Senaparib blocks PARP1 and PARP2, enzymes that help cells repair damaged DNA. PARP inhibition can leave cancer cells with defective DNA-repair mechanisms unable to survive. The drug is being developed as maintenance monotherapy for patients with advanced ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer who responded to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy.
By the numbers: The Phase 3 FLAMES trial enrolled 404 women and compared senaparib with placebo.
- At the interim analysis, senaparib reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 57%. Median progression-free survival had not been reached in the treatment arm, compared with 13.6 months for placebo.
- The benefit was observed across subgroups defined by BRCA mutations and homologous recombination status. However, Grade 3 or worse treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 66% of senaparib recipients, compared with 20% of the placebo group.
Backstory: China approved senaparib in January 2025 for first-line maintenance treatment, followed by its inclusion on the country’s reimbursement list. IMPACT commercially partnered the drug with Huadong Medicine in China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in May 2026.
Reality check: If approved in Europe, Senaparib will enter an established PARP inhibitor market that already includes Lynparza, Zejula and Rubraca. Its pivotal trial was conducted in China, while the published analysis focused on progression-free survival rather than mature overall-survival results.
What’s next: The European Medicines Agency accepted senaparib’s marketing application in August 2025. IMPACT expects the review to conclude during the second half of 2026.
