Ann: Phase IIb Dog Trial Achieves Interim Clinical Endpoints, page-132

This has some info on the option that was in place in about 2015

Nihon granted Novartis Animal Health an exclusive license to develop all molecules in the class of
AAD’s covered by the composition-of-matter patent in the field of veterinary medicine.6
As a
consequence, Pitney does not require a licence from Nihon for the development of a product for
animal use but does require a sublicence from Novartis Animal Health.Monepantel is an
AAD and has been approved as a nematocide for the treatment of sheep gastrointestinal parasites.
Nihon Nohyaku Co Ltd is the owner of Australian Patent 752112, US Patent 6,239,077 and
international equivalents, Aminoacetonitrile derivative, agricultural and horticultural insecticide
containing the same, and use thereof, which claims chemical structures that include monepantel.
Pitney has entered into a Collaborative Research and Option Agreement with Novartis with respect
to conducting certain research on monepantel and AADs in the field of, “Treatment of cancer in
animals”. This agreement also requires Novartis Animal Health to make ADDs available for the
research. IP resulting from the Research Program (defined as “Program IP”) will be jointly owned
by Pitney and Novartis in equal shares, except that Novartis will own all Program IP outside the
field of oncology, or with respect to monepantel analogues and AADs provided to Pitney by
Novartis.
Pitney has initiated discussions with Nihon for the purpose of obtaining a worldwide, exclusive
licence to the AAD patent to develop human applications of monepantel or its analogues in the
field of treating human cancers.


Adreamer pointed that text out earlier

I am fairly sure what that option is offering is 50/50 share in IP for CANCER ONLY in animals

Of course since then it has been discovered that MPL can be useful in heaps of other stuff. I am sure if Elanco was offered that option they would jump at it.

As it stands now PAA own the patents for heaps of other stuff that Elanco would own if that option was signed back then, well maybe not, if that option was signed Elanco might not have been able to afford to buy Novartis Animal Health.

So now we wait, no options in place, no agreements in place. But what we do have is a box full of patents in place, the way its going we are going to get a bigger box.