The global biopharmaceutical company UCB (Brussels: UCB) announced it is acquiring Ra Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: RARX) for $2.1 billion. Ra Pharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that develops novel therapeutics for the treatment of serious diseases caused by excessive or uncontrolled activation of the complement system, a critical component of the innate immune system.
Ra Pharmaceuticals shareholders will receive $48.00 for each held share (approx. $2.5 billion or EUR 2.2 billion), with transaction value at $ 2.1 billion or EUR 2 billion, net of Ra Pharma cash. Ra Pharma reported a trailing 12-month revenue of $2.5 million.
This acquisition will give UCB a number of high-value products from Ra’s pipeline, such as its Phase 3 drug candidate, zilucoplan, that expands the company’s new treatment opportunities for several rare diseases in neurology and immunology, as well as different delivery forms, including extended-release and orally available product.
Zilucoplan was developed using Ra’s ExtremeDiversity technology platform, which is based on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) display and combines therapeutic antibodies with the pharmacological properties of small molecules. UCB will be able to leverage the platform to augment its own drug discovery capabilities while making a broader push into the U.S. market with this deal.
It’s been over a year since we’ve seen UCB in the M&A market, according to our Deal Search Online database. In 2018, the company purchased the rights to midazolam nasal spray from Proximagen LLC to bolster its anti-epilepsy drug portfolio, for $150 million.
