Emergent BioSolutions to Acquire Vaccines Company PaxVax, for $270M

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE: EBS) is to acquire PaxVax, a company focused on specialty vaccines that protect against existing and emerging infectious diseases, for $270m.

PaxVax is majority owned by an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P.

Upon the closing of the deal, Emergent will acquire:
– Vivotif® (Typhoid Vaccine Live Oral Ty21a), the only oral vaccine licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of typhoid fever, a potentially severe and life-threatening infection caused by the bacterium S. Typhi. Vivotif is licensed for sale in 27 countries.
– Vaxchora® (Cholera Vaccine Live Oral), the only FDA-licensed vaccine for the prevention of cholera caused by Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1, a potentially serious intestinal disease
– An Adenovirus 4/7 vaccine candidate being developed for military personnel under contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and additional clinical-stage vaccine candidates targeting Chikungunya and other emerging infectious diseases
– European-based cGMP biologics manufacturing facilities
– Approximately 250 employees including those in research and development (R&D), manufacturing, and commercial operations with a specialty salesforce

Led by Daniel J. Abdun-Nabi, CEO, Emergent BioSolutions is a global life sciences company seeking to protect and enhance life by focusing on providing specialty products for civilian and military populations that address accidental, intentional, and naturally occurring public health threats.

This transaction supports the company’s strategy to grow through the acquisition of revenue-generating products and businesses that align with its focus on public health threats and emerging infectious diseases. The addition of Vivotif and Vaxchora, both FDA-licensed vaccines, will diversify the company’s portfolio of products with dual-market potential.

This acquisition will broaden Emergent’s development pipeline with the addition of an adenovirus 4/7 vaccine being developed under contract with the DoD. This vaccine candidate is intended to meet the government’s stated requirement of protecting the U.S. military against adenovirus types 4 and 7, which are common causes of acute respiratory disease. The vaccine pipeline also includes a Phase 2 candidate to address Chikungunya, a viral disease spread to humans by infected mosquitoes that can cause severely debilitating joint pain, as well as additional clinical-stage products with the potential for partnering that address a number of emerging infectious diseases.
The company will also expand its sales capabilities and supplement its core competencies in government contracting with the addition of a global commercial salesforce and marketing and distribution partners focused on the travel vaccines market. Emergent will also strengthen its manufacturing capabilities with the acquisition of European-based cGMP biologics facilities, expanding its international operations and enhancing opportunities for contract development and manufacturing.

This transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, including antitrust regulatory approval, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2018.

FinSMEs

11/08/2018

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