Actelion to acquire Ceptaris Therapeutics for up to US$250m
Ceptaris’ Valchlor gel under FDA review for early-stage mycosis fungoides-type cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
Actelion US Holdings, a subsidiary of Swiss biopharmaceutical firm Actelion, has agreed to buy Ceptaris Therapeutics, a US developer of a proprietary gel formulation of Valchlor to treat a type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
Allschwil-based Actelion has already paid Ceptaris US$25m will pay another $225m on closing the deal, which depends on US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Valchlor.
Ceptaris' shareholders are also eligible to receive additional payments based on net sales of Valchlor and/or the achievement of certain commercial milestones.
Jean-Paul Clozel, Chief Executive of Actelion, said if the FDA approves Valchlor and Actelion acquires Ceptaris, Actelion would be able to offer this medicine to patients who are currently dependent on formulations prepared locally by compounding pharmacies in a non-standardised environment.
‘At the same time, we would leverage our existing knowhow and infrastructure in the fields of orphan and ultra-orphan indications when appropriately commercialising Valchlor to specialists in the field of dermatology and oncology,’ he said.
‘We believe that Actelion’s expertise in rare diseases make it an ideal partner to deliver Valchlor to patients globally,’ added Stephen Tullman, President and CEO of Ceptaris Therapeutics.
