梯瓦32亿美元收购Auspex布局CNS疾病研究领域

2015年4月1日讯/生物谷BIOON/--本周，以色列著名制药巨头梯瓦公司宣布以32亿美元的价格将罕见病药物研发公司Auspex收入囊中。这一协议距Auspex公司公布其治疗亨廷顿氏症药物临床三期积极研究数据过了仅仅不到三个月。
根据协议，梯瓦公司将以每股42%的溢价收购Auspex公司的股价。这也意味着梯瓦公司将获得Auspex公司负责开发的一系列中枢神经系统相关罕见病药物。分析人士认为，此次梯瓦公司获得的最大好处就是Auspex公司在研的SD-809，这种药物是一种胺转运体（VMAT2）的小分子抑制。Auspex公司认为SD-809能够调控患者大脑中多巴胺的含量以治疗亨廷顿症等罕见疾病。而市场对于这一药物也是充满期待，分析人士认为SD-809上市后其销售峰值将达到2亿-3亿美元之间。此外，Auspex公司还有用于治疗特发性肺纤维化药物SD-560处于临床研究阶段。无论从哪方面将，Auspex公司都可算得上是难得的优良资产，这也难怪众多分析人士都认为32亿美元的价格对于梯瓦公司来说真是物有所值。
最近一段时间，梯瓦公司可谓是内忧外患。公司的摇钱树--治疗多发性硬化症药物copaxone即将面临仿制药市场的强力挑战，同时公司近年来一系列研发活动也未能取得太大成就。在这一背景下，梯瓦公司收购Auspex就显得格外引人注目。梯瓦公司这家久未有大动作的生物医药巨头或许将借此展开一系列雄心勃勃的大计划。有了Auspex的强力加盟，梯瓦公司将可以在中枢神经系统疾病领域开展更深入的研究。
详细英文报道：
ThreemonthsafterAuspexPharmaceuticals($ASPX)excitedthemarketwithnewsthatitsPhaseIIIstudyofanewdrugforcontrollingtheinvoluntarymovementstriggeredbyHuntingtonsdiseasehadsucceeded,Teva($TEVA)hasswoopedintobuythecompanyinadealthatvaluesthebiotechat$3.2billion.
Tevaispaying$101asharetogetitshandsonSD-809,adrugthatclearedlate-stagetestingbyprovidingevidencethatthedrugclearlyimprovedpatientsTotalMaximalChorea(TMC)scorescomparedtoplacebo.Thatstudyincludedabout90patients.Thetherapy--deutetrabenazine--isasmallmoleculeinhibitorofvesicularmonoamine2transporter,orVMAT2,whichisdesignedtoregulatethelevelsofdopamineinthebrain.
Simplyput,SD-809isadeuteratedversionoftetrabenazine--Xenazine,alreadyinuseforHuntingtons--thatisdesignedtobreakdownmoreslowlyinthebody,allowingphysicianstogiveitlessofteninlowerdosesformaximumefficacy.ConcertPharmaceuticals,whichrecentlycompleteditsownIPO,hasbeenoneofthebiotechleadersinthedeuteriumR&Dfield.
Tevaispayinga42%premiumonAuspexsFridayclose.Its52-weeklowis$14.75,providinganotherexampleofthebigpremiumsbeingpaidthesedaysforbiotechassetsaswellastheupsideforsomeoftheinvestorswhohavebeenpouringintothesectoroverthepasttwoyears.Auspexwentpublicaboutayearagoat$12ashare.
AuspexhasbeenworkingondrugsbasedonitsdeuteriumR&Dplatform,amethodthatsusedtoimprovetheefficacyandsafetyprofilesofnewdrugs.TheLaJolla,CA-basedbiotechisexpectedtopostfurtherPhaseIIIdataontardivedyskinesiaforitsleaddrugthissummer.ThedrugisalsointheclinicforTourettesyndrome.Auspexhasalsobeenaddingtoitspipeline.SD-560(deuteratedpirfenidone)isindevelopmentforidiopathicpulmonaryfibrosis.
BernsteinsRonnyGallookedatthedealtoday,flaggingconcernsthatTevaisanglingtotackleadrugthatisabouttogogenericwithanewdrugthatmaybehardtoselltoU.S.payers."Auspexwasacquiredinanauction(percommentoncall)andSD-809isessentiallyasecondgenerationproductfora$200-$300Mdrug,"Galaddsinanotetoinvestors."The$3.2Bisafairprice(includingM&Ssynergies)forthisinitialdrug/indication.ThevaluecreatedinthisdealisbasicallyinwhatTevawoulddowiththepipeline.TevamentionedadditionalcompoundsforHuntington,MS,IPF,migraineandpain.Forus,thisisthemajordriverhere.TevaessentiallynowhasalibraryofNTE-likemoleculesinneurologytofollow."
OveratSterneAgee,meanwhile,ShibaniMalhotranotesthatthebuyouthighlightsTevasintenttoinkastringofnewdeals."WeremainbuyersaswebelievefurtherandpotentiallytransformationaldealsarelikelytoprovideacatalystforTEVAsharesasmanagementcontinuestoexecuteonitsstrategytoreinvigorateTevasgrowthtrajectoryandenhanceshareholdervalue."
ThebuyoutputsTevarightwhereitneedstobe:PreppingforanewdrugapplicationforaCNStherapy.TevahasstrugglemightilyinrecentyearstoadvancenewdrugsasitfacesmajorleaguecompetitiontoitsbigfranchisefortheMSdrugcopaxone.
"WelookforwardtoacceleratingthedevelopmentandcommercializationoftheAuspexportfoliobasedonourinfrastructure,capabilitiesandstrongcommercialandR&DpositioninCNS.Aswehaveoutlinedrecently,oneofourkeyprioritiesfor2015istosupportTevasmidtolong-termgrowthandcreatevalueforourshareholderswithbusinessdevelopmentopportunitiesthatarecloselyalignedwithourcoretherapeuticareas.Thistransactionrepresentsafirstmajorstepwithregardstothatcommitmentandweexpecttocontinuethisfocusinthefuture,"saidErezVigodman,theCEOofTeva.

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