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Cadence, VCs Relieve J&J's Pain, Map Out A Clever Exit In The Process

 
• By Paul Bonanos

When J&J offered to sell its Ionsys pain-relief patch at a fire-sale price last year, Cadence Pharmaceuticals' management team saw a diamond in the rough. But the specialty pharma didn't have the cash or the focus to take on a new project. Enter Frazier Healthcare Ventures, which organized an investor syndicate that teamed with Cadence management on a deal with enough moving parts to make Rube Goldberg proud. The arrangement birthed Incline Therapeutics Inc., an independent, privately held start-up backed by $43.5 million in venture money.

When Johnson & Johnson offered to sell its Ionsys pain-relief patch at a fire-sale price last year, Cadence Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s management team saw a diamond in the rough. [See Deal] But the specialty pharma didn't have the cash or the focus to take on a new project, even if getting it back on the market only required a quick fix.

J&J's Alza Corp. subsidiary briefly marketed Ionsys, which delivers the opiate drug fentanyl iontophoretically – through the skin using an electric charge rather than a needle – but recalled...

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The royalty revenue stream acquirer has around 40 products in its portfolio and expects to generate roughly $3bn this year. Head of R&D and investments Marshall Urist talked about the investment strategy at the RBC Healthcare Conference.

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• By Mandy Jackson

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The French drugmaker is expanding its neurology activities with the $470m deal.