As one bidding war
ends
, another begins.
On Friday, Avadel Pharmaceuticals
said
it had received an unsolicited proposal from Lundbeck to acquire it for a total deal value of up to about $2.6 billion. In late October, the biotech had
already signed
a takeover agreement with Alkermes worth $2.1 billion.
Lundbeck is offering $23 per share for the biotech, consisting of $21 cash upfront. There is a further $1 per share tied to milestones, which will pay out if Avadel’s narcolepsy drug Lumryz and its experimental drug valiloxybate collectively score US sales of at least $450 million in any calendar year by Dec. 31, 2027. Avadel shareholders will get another $1 if that same figure hits $700 million.
Avadel’s board of directors has, after talking to financial and legal advisors, decided that Lundbeck’s bid could result in a “company superior proposal” as defined in Avadel’s existing agreement with Alkermes.
This allows Avadel to start negotiating with Lundbeck, but the biotech can’t terminate its agreement with Alkermes.
Lundbeck’s bid is indeed a fair bit more than the one Alkermes put on the table. Alkermes offered $18.50 per share plus a further $1.50 if Lumryz is approved for idiopathic hypersomnia in adults by the end of 2028. That deal had been expected to close in the first quarter of 2026.
Lumryz is an oral suspension, approved for narcolepsy patients over 7 years old. Avadel
licensed
valiloxybate, a GABA-B agonist developed by XWPharma, in September for $20 million upfront. It is in development for narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia, and could start pharmacokinetic trials this year.