Novartis has strengthened its capabilities for developing medicines that can be delivered via the lungs through a definitive agreement to acquire the pulmonary drug delivery business unit of Nektar Therapeutics for USD 115 million in cash.
Important capabilities gained from Nektar, which has approximately 140 associates who will join Novartis and remain in San Carlos, California, include product formulation and delivery expertise along with a broad device platform. This transaction excludes Nektar's inhalation programmes for insulin, vancomycin, ciprofloxacin and amikacin.
Novartis will utilize these skills to build on existing capabilities and accelerate its pipeline targeting life-threatening diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and cystic fibrosis as well as the life-cycle management of late-stage development projects that are closer to regulatory submissions. Potential applications will also be assessed in other areas of the Novartis healthcare portfolio.
"Severe respiratory diseases are a leading cause of mortality around the world and remain a significant unmet medical need," said Joe Jimenez, CEO of Novartis Pharma AG, the Pharmaceuticals Division of Novartis. "Through our existing collaborations, we have a high regard for the Nektar team and for their technologies, and these capabilities will play an important role in developing our respiratory pipeline."
Nektar pioneered the development of novel forms of delivering therapeutics to the lungs. Among Nektar's lead development projects is TIP (tobramycin inhaled powder), an existing collaboration with Novartis to create a new formulation of tobramycin (TOBI) for treatment of lung infections associated with cystic fibrosis, a hereditary and often fatal condition.
Novartis has a series of marketed products and novel compounds in development to help patients with respiratory diseases. Marketed medicines include Xolair, a biotechnology drug that targets the root cause of allergic asthma, and the bronchodilator Foradil.
The cornerstone of the Novartis respiratory development pipeline is QAB149 (indacaterol), a once-daily long-acting beta-agonist with 24-hour bronchodilation and a fast onset of action. QAB149 is on track for first regulatory submissions by the end of 2008 as a monotherapy treatment for COPD, an incurable condition where lungs have been damaged, usually from smoking. QAB149 is also being developed for use in COPD patients with other respiratory therapies, including with the corticosteroid mometasone (QMF149) and with the anti-muscarinic antagonist NVA237 (QVA149).
Novartis has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Nektar's pulmonary business unit for USD 115 million in cash to be financed from the Group's financial resources. Novartis will acquire research, development and manufacturing assets of Nektar's pulmonary business unit, including tangible assets as well as intellectual property and related expertise. As a result of this transaction, future milestones and royalty payments from Novartis to Nektar for the TIP development project would be avoided.
This transaction requires customary regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed by the end of 2008. The pro forma effect of this acquisition will not have a significant impact on the Group's reported net income and cash flow.