Larsucosterol

LAVAL, QC and CUPERTINO, CA, August 26, 2025 – Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE: BHC) (TSX: BHC), a global, diversified pharmaceutical company, and DURECT Corporation (NASDAQ: DRRX) today announced that BHC Lyon Merger Sub, Inc. (“Purchaser”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Bausch Health Americas, Inc. (“BHA”), and an indirect subsidiary of Bausch Health Companies Inc. (“BHC”), has extended the expiration date of its tender offer (the “Offer”) to acquire all of the outstanding shares of common stock of DURECT Corporation for $1.75 per share in an all-cash transaction for an upfront consideration of approximately $63 million at closing, with the potential for two additional net sales milestone payments of up to $350 million in the aggregate (subject to certain adjustments in respect of a retention plan) if the milestones are achieved before the earlier of the 10 year anniversary of the first commercial sale of larsucosterol (5-cholesten-3ß, 25-diol 3-sulfate sodium salt) in the United States and December 31, 2045. The Offer, which was previously scheduled to expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 9, 2025, has been extended until 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 10, 2025. Holders that have previously tendered their shares do not need to re-tender their shares or take any other action in response to this extension. The Offer is being made pursuant to the terms and conditions described in the Offer to Purchase, dated August 12, 2025 (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the “Offer to Purchase”), the related letter of transmittal and certain other offer documents, copies of which are attached to the tender offer statement on Schedule TO filed by BHC, BHA and Purchaser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on August 12, 2025. The Offer is conditioned upon the fulfilment of certain conditions described in “The Tender Offer—Section 15—Conditions to the Offer” of the Offer to Purchase, including but not limited to, a majority of the outstanding shares of DURECT Corporation’s common stock being tendered into the Offer and not withdrawn, as well as other customary closing conditions. About Bausch Health Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE: BHC) (TSX: BHC), is a global, diversified pharmaceutical company enriching lives through our relentless drive to deliver better health care outcomes. We develop, manufacture and market a range of products primarily in gastroenterology, hepatology, neurology, dermatology, dentistry, aesthetics, international pharmaceuticals and eye health, through our controlling interest in Bausch + Lomb Corporation. Our ambition is to be a globally integrated healthcare company, trusted and valued by patients, HCPs, employees and investors. Our gastroenterology business, Salix Pharmaceuticals, is one of the largest specialty pharmaceutical businesses in the world and has licensed, developed and marketed innovative products for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases for more than 30 years. For more information about Salix, visit www.Salix.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn. For more information about Bausch Health, visit www.bauschhealth.com and connect with us on LinkedIn. About DURECT Corporation DURECT Corporation (Nasdaq: DRRX) is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of epigenetic therapies that target dysregulated DNA methylation to transform the treatment of serious and life-threatening conditions, including acute organ injury. Larsucosterol, DURECT’s lead drug candidate, binds to and inhibits the activity of DNA methyltransferases, epigenetic enzymes that are elevated and associated with hypermethylation found in AH patients. Larsucosterol is in clinical development for the potential treatment of AH, for which the FDA has granted a Fast Track and a Breakthrough Therapy designation; MASH is also being explored. For more information about DURECT, please visit www.durect.com and follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at https://x.com/DURECTCorp. Forward Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements about the proposed transaction with DURECT (the “Transaction”) and the future performance of Bausch Health (Bausch Health and DURECT, collectively, “the Parties”), which may generally be identified by the use of the words "anticipates," "hopes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "should," "could," "would," "may," "believes," "subject to" and variations or similar expressions. These statements are based upon the current expectations and beliefs of management and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Actual results are subject to other risks and uncertainties that relate more broadly to the Parties' overall businesses, including those more fully described in the Parties’ most recent annual reports on Form 10-K and detailed from time to time in the Parties’ other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and, in the case of Bausch Health, the Canadian Securities Administrators, which factors are incorporated herein by reference. In addition, such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: uncertainties relating to the timing of the consummation of the proposed Transaction; the possibility that any or all of the conditions to the consummation of the Transaction may not be satisfied or waived; the failure to obtain requisite stockholder approval of DURECT, the effect of the announcement or pendency of the Transaction on Parties’ ability to maintain relationships with customers, suppliers, and other business partners; the impact of the Transaction if consummated on Bausch’s business, financial position and results of operations, including with respect to expectations regarding margin expansion, accretion and deleveraging; and risks relating to potential diversion of management attention away from the Parties’ ongoing business operations. There can be no assurance that the conditions to closing the Transaction will be satisfied or that the tender offer and the Transaction will be consummated. Additional information regarding certain of these material factors and assumptions may be found in the Parties’ filings described above as well as the filings made in connection with the Transaction described below. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. The Parties undertake no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release or to reflect actual outcomes, unless required by law. Additional Information On August 12, 2025, the Purchaser filed with the SEC a tender offer statement on Schedule TO and DURECT Corporation filed with the SEC a solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 regarding the Offer. THE TENDER OFFER MATERIALS (INCLUDING AN OFFER TO PURCHASE, A RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL AND OTHER DOCUMENTS) AND THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT, AS THEY MAY BE AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME, CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT SHOULD BE READ CAREFULLY AND CONSIDERED BEFORE ANY DECISION IS MADE WITH RESPECT TO THE OFFER. The tender offer materials are available at no charge on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The tender offer materials and related materials also may be obtained for free under the “Corporate Governance—SEC Filings” section of our investor website at https://ir.bauschhealth.com/, and the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement and such other documents also may be obtained for free from DURECT under the “SEC Filings” section of DURECT’s investor website at https://www.durect.com/investors/.

Bausch Health will pay $1.75 per share plus up to $350 million in aggregate sales milestones Transaction expected to close in the third quarter of 2025 CUPERTINO, Calif., Aug. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- DURECT Corporation (Nasdaq: DRRX) today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025 and provided an update on the previously announced acquisition of DURECT by Bausch Health Companies Inc. (Bausch Health). Recent business highlights and updates: In July 2025, DURECT announced that it entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with Bausch Health Americas, Inc. (Bausch Health Americas), a wholly owned subsidiary of Bausch Health and BHC Lyon Merger Sub, Inc. (Merger Sub), with DURECT surviving as a direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Bausch Health (Merger Agreement).Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, Bausch Health will pay $1.75 per share of DURECT common stock in an all-cash transaction for an upfront consideration of approximately $63 million at closing, with the potential for two additional net sales milestone payments of up to $350 million in the aggregate (subject to certain adjustments) if the milestone is achieved before the earlier of the 10 year anniversary of the first commercial sale of larsucosterol in the United States and December 31, 2045. The Merger is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2025. Pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub commenced on August 12, 2025 a tender offer to acquire all of DURECT's outstanding shares of common stock (the Tender Offer). As soon as practicable following the consummation of the Tender Offer and subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into DURECT. Financial Highlights for the First Quarter 2025: Total revenues were $447,000 and net loss was $2.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025 compared to total revenues of $646,000 and net loss of $3.7 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024. As of June 30, 2025, cash, cash equivalents and investments were $6.7 million, compared to cash, cash equivalents and investments of $12.0 million at December 31, 2024. Additional Information and Where to Find It This communication is not an offer to buy nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities of DURECT. The solicitation and the offer to buy shares of DURECT's common stock is being made pursuant to a Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO, including an offer to purchase, a letter of transmittal and other related materials, that were filed by Bausch Health and Merger Sub with the SEC on August 12, 2025. In addition, DURECT has filed a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with respect to the Tender Offer with the SEC on August 12, 2025. The Tender Offer materials and the Solicitation/Recommendation statement, as they may be amended from time to time, contain important information that should be read carefully when they become available and considered before any decision is made with respect to the Tender Offer. Investors will be able to obtain a free copy of these materials and other documents filed by Bausch Health, Merger Sub and DURECT with the SEC at the website maintained by the SEC at . Investors may also obtain, at no charge, copies of these materials and other documents by calling D.F. King & Co., the information agent for the Tender Offer, toll-free at (800) 628-8528 for stockholders or by calling collect at (212) 596-7578 for banks or brokers. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ THESE DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT ON SCHEDULE 14D-9 OF DURECT AND ANY AMENDMENTS THERETO, AS WELL AS ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE TENDER OFFER AND THE MERGER THAT ARE FILED WITH THE SEC, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY PRIOR TO MAKING ANY DECISIONS WITH RESPECT TO WHETHER TO TENDER THEIR SHARES INTO THE TENDER OFFER BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE TENDER OFFER. About DURECT Corporation DURECT is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of epigenetic therapies that target dysregulated DNA methylation to transform the treatment of serious and life-threatening conditions, including acute organ injury. Larsucosterol, DURECT's lead drug candidate, binds to and inhibits the activity of DNA methyltransferases, epigenetic enzymes that are elevated and associated with hypermethylation found in alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH) patients. Larsucosterol is in clinical development for the potential treatment of AH, for which the FDA has granted a Fast Track and a Breakthrough Therapy designation; MASH has also been explored. For more information about DURECT, please visit and follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at . DURECT Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements, including statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words or phrases such as "believe," "may," "could," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "seek," "plan," "expect," "should," "would," or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and expectations and include, but are not limited to statements regarding beliefs about the potential benefits of the transaction; the considerations taken into account and the determination by the DURECT board of directors in approving the transaction; the planned completion and timing of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement; and the prospective performance and outlook of the surviving company's business, performance, and opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements contained in this communication, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. The potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those projected include, among other things, uncertainties as to the timing and completion of the Offer and the Merger; uncertainties as to the percentage of DURECT stockholders tendering their Company Shares in the Offer; the possibility that competing offers will be made; the possibility that various closing conditions for the Offer or the Merger may not be satisfied or waived, including the failure to receive any required regulatory approvals from any applicable regulatory and/or governmental entities (or any conditions, limitations or restrictions placed on such approvals); risks relating to DURECT's liquidity during the pendency of the Offer and the Merger or in the event of a termination of the Merger Agreement; the risk that the Milestone Payments are not achieved; the effects of disruption caused by the transaction making it more difficult to maintain relationships with employees, collaborators, partners, vendors and other business partners; risks related to diverting management's attention from DURECT's ongoing business operations; the risk that stockholder litigation in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement may result in significant costs of defense, and other risks and uncertainties pertaining to DURECT's business, including the risks and uncertainties detailed in DURECT's public periodic filings with the SEC, as well as the Offer materials to be filed by Bausch Health Americas and Merger Sub and the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 to be filed by DURECT in connection with the Offer. Undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update these statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, except as required by law.. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in DURECT's most recent Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, when filed, under the heading "Risk Factors." These reports are available on our website under the "Investors" tab and on the SEC's website at . All information provided in this press release is based on information available to DURECT as of the date hereof, and DURECT assumes no obligation to update this information as a result of future events or developments, except as required by law. NOTE: Larsucosterol is an investigational drug candidate under development and has not been approved for commercialization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other health authorities for any indication. SOURCE DURECT Corporation WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED