Amgen Will Acquire Chemocentryx in $4 Billion Deal

On Aug. 4, 2022, Amgen announced a definitive agreement to acquire ChemoCentryx, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in therapeutics to treat autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders, and cancer, for $52 per share in cash, which represents an enterprise value of approximately $3.7 billion. Each company’s board of directors has approved the transaction, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2022.

The acquisition includes Tavneos (avacopan), an orally administered selective complement component 5a receptor inhibitor. The drug was approved by FDA in October 2021 as an adjunctive treatment in combination with standard therapy for adult patients with severe active antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, specifically granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), the two main forms of ANCA-associated vasculitis.

ANCA-associated vasculitis is a group of multi-system autoimmune diseases with small vessel inflammation. With these diseases, inflamed vessels may rupture or become occluded, which gives rise to a broad array of clinical symptoms and signs related to a systemic inflammatory response. This may result in profound injury and dysfunction in the kidneys, lungs, and other organs.

Outside the United States, Tavneos is also approved in the European Union and Japan. Under the acquisition agreement, Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma will retain exclusive rights to commercialize the drug outside the US, except in Japan and Canada. In Japan, Kissei Pharmaceutical holds commercialization rights, and in Canada, Otsuka Canada Pharmaceutical holds commercialization rights.

ChemoCentryx also has three early-stage drug candidates that target chemoattractant receptors in other inflammatory diseases and an oral checkpoint inhibitor for cancer in its pipeline.

"We are excited to join in the T[avneos] launch and help many more patients with this serious and sometimes life-threatening disease for which there remains significant unmet medical need. We also look forward to welcoming the… team from ChemoCentryx that shares our passion for serving patients suffering from serious diseases," said Robert A. Bradway, chairman and CEO at Amgen, in a company press release.

"Last year, after 25 years of proud history, we at [ChemoCentryx ] delivered on our founding promise with the approval of T[avneos] for patients with [ANCA-associated vasculitis]. It is an honor to now join Amgen's great mission, and together begin a bright new era bringing landscape-shaping medicines [such as] T[avneos] to those who will benefit most," said Thomas J. Schall, president and CEO of ChemoCentryx, in the press release.

Source: Amgen