MAP Pharmaceuticals

About MAP Pharmaceuticals

MAP Pharmaceuticals, Inc. operated as a biopharmaceutical company with a strategic focus on developing novel therapies for neurological conditions. Founded in 2003 by Paul Boyd and Thomas A. Armer, the company was based in Mountain View, California. The firm's business model centered on applying its proprietary drug particle and inhalation technologies to enhance the therapeutic benefits of established drugs, thereby mitigating risks while capitalizing on their known safety and efficacy profiles.

The company's lead product candidate was LEVADEX®, an orally inhaled formulation of dihydroergotamine (DHE) designed for the acute treatment of migraine in adults. This therapy was developed to be self-administered using the company's proprietary TEMPO® inhaler, offering a combination of rapid onset of action and patient convenience. Clinical development for LEVADEX was extensive, involving approximately 1,000 patients in trials that treated nearly 10,000 migraines. The company's primary clients were individuals suffering from migraines, a market estimated to include around 30 million people in the United States at the time.

A significant milestone for MAP Pharmaceuticals was the submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) for LEVADEX to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2011. This followed the completion of its Phase 3 clinical program. The company entered into a collaboration agreement with Allergan, Inc. in January 2011 to co-promote LEVADEX to neurologists and pain specialists in the U.S. and Canada, contingent on regulatory approval. Following an initial review and a subsequent resubmission with additional data in October 2012, the FDA accepted the NDA for filing. In a culminating event for the company, Allergan announced its agreement to acquire MAP Pharmaceuticals in January 2013 for approximately $958 million. The acquisition was completed in the first or second quarter of 2013, integrating MAP's expertise and pipeline, particularly LEVADEX, into Allergan's neurology franchise.