AstraZeneca reported on Wednesday that it will buy Novexel in a deal valued at up to $505 million, and that it will partner with Forest on the development of two combination antibiotic treatments that use Novexel’s investigational compound NXL-104 to target antibiotic-resistant infections.
The deals expand AstraZeneca's anti-infective pipeline, which executive vice-president of development, Anders Ekblom, said is "a strategic priority" for the company.
Under the terms of the acquisition deal, AstraZeneca will buy 100 percent of Novexel's shares for $350 million in cash and will pay up to an additional $75 million to Novexel shareholders if certain milestones are reached. The UK drugmaker will also pay an estimated $80 million to cover Novexel's cash balance at the completion of the transaction, expected in the first quarter of 2010.
According to the conditions of separate deals announced Wednesday, Forest obtains global rights to the combination antibiotic CEF104 (ceftaroline/NXL-104), while simultaneously licensing the compound's rights to AstraZeneca outside the US, Canada and Japan. Forest had previously held North American rights to CEF104 through an agreement with Novexel.
In addition, Forest gains US and Canadian rights to co-develop and market another combination antibiotic, CAZ104 (ceftazidime/NXL-104), and it receives marketing rights to any other combinations involving NXL-104, a beta-lactamase inhibitor.
Forest will pay $210 million, approximately half the acquisition costs for Novexel, in consideration for the additional rights it is obtaining for the programmes involving NXL-104, and it will also pay half of any future milestone payments in connection with the acquisition deal. The two drugmakers will share expenses for the development of CEF104 and CAZ104.
AstraZeneca noted that the CAZ104 is expected to move into late-stage development in late 2010 and be filed with US and European regulators in 2012. The product is being developed to treat serious infections, such as intra-abdominal, urinary tract and hospital acquired pneumonia.
CEF104 is being designed to treat conditions such as skin and diabetic foot infections, and it is expected to proceed to mid-stage development in late 2010.
Earlier this year, AstraZeneca secured rights from Forest to commercialise ceftaroline in markets outside North America and Japan.