AstraZeneca to acquire Takeda’s respiratory franchise
pharmafile | December 16, 2015 | News story | Manufacturing and Production, Research and Development | AstraZeneca, China, Takeda, investment, respiratory
AstraZeneca and Takeda have agreed a multi-million pound deal for AZ to acquire the Japanese firm’s core respiratory business, including its marketed products and its lung drug pipeline.
The $575 million (£383m) deal also means around 200 staff will transfer from Takeda to AstraZeneca once the deal is completed – believed to be during the first quarter of 2016.
The deal will include the expansion of rights to Takeda’s Daxas (roflumilast; marketed as Daliresp in the US), the only approved oral PDE4 inhibitor for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Analyst estimates have forecast sales of Daxas in the European Union reaching €150 million in 2015. AstraZeneca will also acquire the rights to Alvesco and Omnaris (ciclesonide). The annual global sales outside the US of the three core medicines acquired were $198 million for the period ending in March 2015.
AstraZeneca has marketed Daliresp in the US since the acquisition of the rights from Actavis in the first quarter of 2015. The agreement will also provide AstraZeneca with access to other marketed respiratory medicines and early pipeline products, including ‘several pre-clinical assets.’
Luke Miels, executive vice president global portfolio and product strategy at AstraZeneca, says: “The agreement with Takeda complements our respiratory business, one of our three main therapy areas, supports our return to growth and will be immediately accretive to earnings from 2016. Daxas in particular adds to our portfolio of treatments for patients with severe COPD.”
Takeda’s chief executive Christophe Weber says: “Patients are Takeda’s primary focus and we are committed to working closely with AstraZeneca to ensure a smooth transition. AstraZeneca has extensive experience in respiratory care and will be able to prioritise getting these important medicines to the patients that need them.”
AstraZeneca focuses on China
News of the deal came along with a commitment by AstraZeneca to continue strategic investment in China, to speed the delivery of innovative biologics and targeted medicines.
AZ and its biologics arm MedImmune are launching a string of investments and R&D initiatives in China, the company’s second largest market, in the company’s key therapy areas: respiratory, inflammation and autoimmunity; cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and oncology (see box, below).
Bahija Jallal, executive vice president of MedImmune says: “This strategic alliance, alongside our accelerated investments, will create a sustainable and strategic innovation platform in China and strengthen our leadership in developing next-generation biologics for both local needs and patients around the world.”
Mark Mallon, executive vice president, international at AstraZeneca, says: “Our increased investment reinforces our commitment to bring innovative medicines to patients in China faster and supports our continued strong growth in the country.
“These initiatives will allow us to better integrate the needs of this important market into our global portfolio decisions, and make us the first multinational biopharmaceutical company to create a dedicated R&D platform and manufacturing capabilities in China for local development from research through to commercialisation.”
Lilian Anekwe
AstraZeneca’s strategic deals in China
- A strategic alliance with WuXi AppTec, a Chinese biologics manufacturer and contract research organisation, to produce biologics locally in China. AstraZeneca has the option to acquire WuXi AppTec’s biologics manufacturing capacity in Wuxi for $100 million. Wuxi AppTec will be the company’s exclusive partner for R&D manufacturing for innovative biologics in China
- An existing joint venture between MedImmune and WuXi AppTec to develop and commercialise MEDI5117, a novel biologic for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, in China
- An investment of $50 million to build an additional development and launch facility alongside an existing manufacturing site in Wuxi City
- Creating a new global hub for pharmaceutical development – alongside those in the UK and Sweden – with up to 50 scientists based in Shanghai and Wuxi City
- Establishing an integrated China medicines development organisation, bringing together early and late-stage medicines development across small molecules and biologics.
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