Ligand Buys Royalty Rights In Santen's Ryjunea Eye Drug

(RTTNews) - Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. (LGND), announced on Tuesday that it has acquired royalty and milestone payment rights tied to Santen Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd's Ryjunea, the first approved pharmacologic treatment in Europe and the UK to slow myopia progression in children. Ligand will pay $23 million upfront to Sydnexis, Inc. to secure a tiered royalty interest ranging from low double-digit to high teens on Ryjunea net sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, along with certain milestone payments. Sydnexis retains commercial rights in the U.S. and other territories. Ryjunea, a once-nightly low-dose atropine eye drop, was cleared by the European Commission in June 2025 and the UK MHRA in October 2025.