Bayer AG Oct. 26 announced the acquisition of Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inca US-headquartered biopharmaceutical company specialized in the research, development and manufacturing of gene therapies across different therapeutic areas, as Bayer informed in the press release.
AskBio’s development portfolio includes investigational pre-clinical and clinical stage candidates for the treatment of neuromuscular, central nervous system, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
Bayer will own full rights to AskBio’s gene therapy platform, including a broad intellectual property portfolio and an established contract development and manufacturing organization laying the foundation for future partnerships in the area of adeno-associated virus therapies.
Under the terms of the agreement, Bayer will pay an upfront consideration of USD 2 billion and potential success-based milestone payments of up to USD 2 billion. Some 75 percent of the potential success-based milestone payments are expected to be due during the course of the next five years and the remaining amount late thereafter.
Closing of the transaction is contingent on customary closing conditions, and is expected to take place during the fourth quarter of 2020.
Credit Suisse is serving as financial advisor to Bayer, while Baker McKenzie is serving as legal counsel. JP Morgan is serving as financial advisor to AskBio, while Ropes & Gray is serving as legal counsel.
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. In fiscal 2019, the Group employed around 104,000 people and had sales of 43.5 billion euros. Capital expenditures amounted to 2.9 billion euros, R&D expenses to 5.3 billion euros
