University tech transfer offices (TTOs) in the United States are reported to be cashing in on their blockbuster innovations are sitting pretty. The current environment in royalty monetization is a "sellers' market", as is evidenced by several recent sales of big royalty streams. There is also a rise in the number of businesses now lining up as potential buyers. n particular, Royalty Pharma has been involved in the following deals: * the sale by Children's Hospital Foundation (Philadelphia) of its royalty interest in the oral gastroenteritis vaccine RotaTeq for $182 million in cash;
* Northwestern University's sale of a portion of its worldwide royalty stake in pain treatment drug Lyrica for $700 million in cash;
* New York University's sale of rheumatoid arthritis drug Remicade for $650 million in cash, plus additional payments if sales exceed certain milestones.
The market is worth watching, so see whether the increased interest in royalty interests can be correlated with uncertainties over more traditional income routes during the current period of sustained economic uncertainty.
Source: "A Seller's Market", in The Deal.