Dive Brief:
French pharmaceutical firm Servier has agreed to acquire the muscular dystrophy business of a Colorado-based biotechnology company in a deal that could be worth nearly $2.7 billion.
The main asset in the acquisition is sevasemten, an experimental, first-of-its-kind tablet designed to protect fragile muscles by inhibiting a protein that causes fast, powerful muscle contractions. The drug’s developer, Edgewise Therapeutics, has advanced it into mid-stage studies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy as well as pivotal testing for another rare disorder called Becker muscular dystrophy.
In a statement, Servier said this drug could make it a “global player with strong capabilities” in neuromuscular disorders. The company will pay Edgewise $1.55 billion in cash up front, and has offered as much as $1.1 billion more if certain regulatory and commercial goals are hit.
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