Sanofi acquires Kadmon in $1.9 billion deal
pharmafile | September 8, 2021 | News story | Research and Development |
Sanofi has announced that is has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Kadmon Holdings adding Rezurock (belumosudil) to its transplant portfolio in a $1.9 billion deal.
Rezurock is a recently FDA-approved treatment for chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) for adult and paediatric patients 12 years and older who have failed at least two prior lines of systemic therapy.
Sanofi has been on the acquisition trail recently. In August, the French drugmaker agreed to acquire its messenger-RNA development partner Translate Bio for $3.2bn, expanding in the technology behind some of the world’s top-selling Covid-19 vaccines.
From the deal Kadmon investors will receive $9.50 a share in cash, which is 79% more than Tuesday’s closing price, the companies said on Wednesday.
Olivier Charmeil, Executive Vice President General Medicines at Sanofi, said: “We are thrilled to add Kadmon’s Rezurock to our well-established transplant portfolio. Our existing scale, expertise, and relationships in transplant create an ideal platform to achieve the full potential of Rezurock, which will address the significant unmet medical needs of patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease around the world.”
Sanofi’s transplant business mainly consists of Thymoglobulin (anti-thymocyte globulin), a polyclonal, anti-human, thymocyte antibody preparation that acts as a broad immunosuppressive and immunomodulating agent and Mozobil (plerixafor), a hematopoietic stem cell mobiliser. Both products are among General Medicines core assets and are currently registered and marketed in more than 65 countries.
Rezurock was launched in August in the United States and is the first and only approved small molecule therapy that inhibits the Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase 2 (ROCK2), a signalling pathway that modulates inflammatory response and fibrotic processes.
Kadmon’s pipeline includes drug candidates for immune and fibrotic diseases as well as immuno-oncology therapies.
Harlan Waksal, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kadmo, said: “We are excited that Sanofi has acknowledged the value of Rezurock and the deep potential of our pipeline.
“By leveraging Sanofi’s global resources and long-standing expertise in developing and commercialising innovative medicines, Rezurock is now well positioned for global accessibility, faster.”
Kat Jenkins
