AstraZeneca Reaches an Agreement to Acquire Actavis’ Respiratory Portfolio

AstraZeneca announced on Feb. 5, 2015 that it had entered into a definitive agreement with Actavis to acquire the rights to Actavis’ branded respiratory business in the US and Canada for an initial consideration of $600 million upon acquisition completion and low single-digit royalties above a certain revenue threshold. The acquisition will increase AstraZeneca’s respiratory drug pipeline, which includes Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate) and Pulmicort (budesonide), and accounted for over $4 billion of revenue for the company in 2014, with its entire respiratory portfolio pulling in over $5 billion by the end of year, according to a company report.

Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca will acquire the developmental and commercial rights in the US and Canada to Tudorza Pressair (aclidinium bromide inhalation powder), which is a twice-a-day, long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) for chronic pulmonary disease (COPD), and Daliresp (roflumikast), the only once-daily oral PDE4 inhibitor for COPD. AstraZeneca will also acquire the developmental rights in the US and Canada for LAS40464, a combination fixed-dose of aclidinium with formoterol long-acting beta agonist (LABA) in a dry powder inhaler (approved in the EU under the name Duaklir Genuair).

According to AstraZeneca’s website, respiratory, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases is one of the main areas of focus for the company. In October 2014, AstraZeneca announced that it acquired Almirall’s respiratory franchise for up to $1.22 billion to build its respiratory pipeline, marking the Actavis acquisition as an investment of more than $1.8 into respiratory assets for the company in the past six months. In June 2013, AstraZeneca acquired Pearl Therapeutics along with its lead product PT003, a combination (LAMA/LABA) meant for the treatment of severe COPD.

“Our agreement with Actavis builds on our acquisition of Almirall’s respiratory portfolio and brings long-term value to one of our key growth platforms. With the addition of Tudorza and Daliresp, we will benefit from an immediate boost to revenue in our biggest market, further strengthening our growing respiratory franchise. This combined portfolio helps us to offer an even broader range of innovative treatments and formulations to physicians and pulmonary specialists for patients suffering with COPD,” said Paul Hudson, president of AstraZeneca US and executive vice-president, North America, AstraZeneca, in a press release.

This comes two days after Mylan announced that they would be entering the LAMA space with a Theravance Biophama partnership to develop and commercialize a novel investigational treatment for COPD.

Source:
AstraZeneca