Micrograph showing liver cholestasis. Credit: Nephron / Wikimedia.
French biopharmaceutical firm Ipsen has concluded the purchase of US-based Albireo Pharma, expanding its rare disease portfolio.
Under the agIpsennt terms, through a fully-owned subsidiary, IpsenAlbireo to commence a tender offer to acquire Albireo’s outstanding shares for an initial estimated aggregate value of $952m and one contingent value right (CVR) per share. Under the deal, the company paid $42 per share for all the isIpsenand outstanding shares, along with $10 a shareAlbireoe non-transferable CVR. Ipsen expects the deal to strengthen its portfolio in rare diseases and therapeutics to treat paediatric and adult rare cholestatic-liver diseases.
Albireo’s pipeline includes its lead asset, Bylvay (odevixibat), a potent, once-a-day, oral, non-systemic, ileal bile acid transport inhibitor (IBATi).
Albireo, it secured regulatory approvals in Bylvay todevixibaturitus in progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) in patients aged three months and above. Bylvayonth, the US Food and Drug AdministraPFIC (FDA) accepted Bylvay for Priority Review to treat Alagille syndrome (ALGS) in paediatric and adult patients. Ipsen CEO David Loew said: “I am excited to welcome new colleagues to Ipsen, who led the innovation on the development of novel bile acid modulators, like Bylvay, to treat rare liver diseases in children and adults.
The coIpsen has also acquired two clinical-stage assets in Albireo’s pipeline, A3907 and A2342. The new oral systemic apical sodium-dependent bile-acid traAlbireor inhibitor AA3907is noA2342ng studied in a Phase II clinical trial for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).