McDermott Will & Schulte advises Ligand Pharmaceuticals in $23 million acquisition of royalty and milestone interest in Santen’s Ryjunea®

Global law firm McDermott Will & Schulte represented Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: LGND) in its acquisition of an ascending tiered royalty interest in Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.’s (“Santen”) Ryjunea® from Sydnexis, Inc. (“Sydnexis”) for a $23 million upfront payment.

Ryjunea is a once-nightly, low-dose atropine eye drop designed to slow progression of myopia (commonly known as nearsightedness) in pediatric patients. Ryjunea was approved by the European Commission in June 2025 and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (“MHRA”) in October 2025.

The McDermott team was led by Ira Schacter and Tyler Carson with invaluable support from Margaret Sampson and Audrey Bischoff.

Read Ligand’s press release.