Pfizer to acquire Anacor for US$5.2bn

Published: 17-May-2016

Pfizer expands its inflammation and immunology business by adding Crisaborole eczema product to portfolio


Pfizer is to buy Anacor Pharmaceuticals, based in Palo Alto, California, US, for US$5.2bn in cash to support the US firm's focus on inflammation and immunology.

Under the terms of the agreement Pfizer will pay $99.25 per Anacor share.

Anacor’s flagship anti-inflammatory gel, crisaborole, a differentiated non-steroidal topical PDE4 inhibitor, is currently under review by the US FDA for the potential treatment of mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis (eczema) in children and adults. If approved, Pfizer believes crisaborole could generate sales of more than $2bn a year.

'The acquisition of Anacor represents an attractive opportunity to address a significant unmet medical need for a large patient population with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis, which currently has few safe topical treatments available,' said Albert Bourla, Group President of Pfizer’s Global Innovative Pharma and Global Vaccines, Oncology and Consumer Healthcare Businesses.

'Crisaborole is a differentiated asset with compelling clinical data that, if approved, has the potential to be an important first-line treatment option for these patients and the physicians who treat them.'

Bourla added that Anacor would be a 'strong fit' with Pfizer’s business.

'Our dedicated Inflammation and Immunology group has strong existing in-market franchises with Enbrel and Xeljanz, as well as a robust mid-stage pipeline, and this acquisition has the potential to add a near-term US product launch,' he said.

Anacor also holds the rights to Kerydin, a topical treatment for onychomycosis (toenail fungus) that is distributed and marketed by Sandoz in the US.

Pfizer expects to complete the acquisition in the third-quarter 2016.

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