Pfizer Buys Anacor With Blockbuster Ambitions For Crisaborole

Pfizer Inc. has made its first M&A move since the planned mega-deal with Allergan PLC collapsed. The big pharma announced May 16 that it will buy Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc. for $99.25 per share in cash, or approximately $5.2bn.

The deal is a bolt-on acquisition by Pfizer’s standards, nothing like the $160bn merger Pfizer had been planning with Allergan that was thwarted in April by the US treasury. (Also see "Pfizer-Allergan Merger: The End Is Nigh " - Scrip, 6 April, 2016.) But it is in line with the way management has been guiding investors to think about Pfizer’s M&A strategy, mainly that the company is interested in on-market or late-stage assets that will help drive growth in the innovative side of the business.

Anacor owns a non-steroidal topical phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE-4 inhibitor), crisaborole, that is currently under review by FDA for the treatment of...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Scrip for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required

More from Business

Incretin Revolution: Obesity And Diabetes Drugs Redefine Pharma’s Sales Leaders

 

By 2030, the pharmaceutical company leaderboard will be transformed as incretin-based therapies propel Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to the top, while companies reliant on aging blockbuster drugs see their dominance wane.

Zydus Looks To Ride gIbrance Exclusivity Wave; GLP-1 Battle-Ready With Differentiated Pen

 
• By 

Ibrance is losing share to other drugs, but Zydus looks forward to a late 2027/early 2028 launch of its generic in the US where partner Synthon might have 180-day exclusivity. In India, as Lilly launches Mounjaro KwikPen, it hopes for a GLP-1 edge with a differentiated device and formulation.

Sarepta Sells Arrowhead Shares To Raise Cash, Pay Arrowhead

 
• By 

Sarepta is in a cash crunch with sales of Elevidys slumping due to safety concerns and with financial commitments coming due, including debt repayments and milestone fees for its partner Arrowhead.

Deal Watch: Lilly Teams With GPCR-Focused Superluminal In Cardiometabolic Disease

 
• By 

Plus deals involving Basilea/Venatorx, CorMedix/Melinta, SERB/Y-mAbs, XOMA/Lava, XOMA/Hillevax, MaxCyte/Adicet/Anocca and Bausch Health/DURECT.

More from Scrip

Deal Watch: Lilly Teams With GPCR-Focused Superluminal In Cardiometabolic Disease

 
• By 

Plus deals involving Basilea/Venatorx, CorMedix/Melinta, SERB/Y-mAbs, XOMA/Lava, XOMA/Hillevax, MaxCyte/Adicet/Anocca and Bausch Health/DURECT.

Lilly Begins Rebalancing US/Ex-US Drug Costs By Raising Prices In Europe

 
• By 

Lilly said prices governments pay in developed countries, including those in Europe, need to increase to make US drug prices lower, rebalancing costs as CEO David Ricks recently advocated.

Schrödinger Drops CDC7 Inhibitor SGR-2921 After Two Patient Deaths

 

The drug is one of multiple candidates in the class that have been pulled from development, though it is not the company’s lead candidate.