Business
Asahi Kasei to Acquire Aicuris to Accelerate Growth in Severe Infectious Diseases
Wuppertal, Germany, February 26, 2026 - Aicuris Anti-infective Cures AG (“Aicuris”) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement under which Asahi Kasei, through its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., will acquire all shares of Aicuris for a total of €780 million (~$920 million*). The acquisition will enable Asahi Kasei to strategically expand its portfolio of therapies designed to treat severe viral infections, addressing critical infectious complicat
About this update from Asahi Kasei Corporation
[{"type":"image","alt":"AiCuris Anti-infective Cures AG","displaySize":"","headline":null,"caption":"AiCuris Anti-infective Cures AG","className":"","disableSlideshowImg":false,"size":{"original":{"width":300,"height":78,"url":"https://media.zenfs.com/en/globenewswire.com/4d699534caf1792883508e8a123d09fe"},"resized":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/m3QYmxGlxd.9pb86vApjOw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTQyMDtoPTEwOTtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/globenewswire.com/4d699534caf1792883508e8a123d09fe","width":300,"height":78}},"lazy":false},{"type":"text","content":"Wuppertal, Germany, February 26, 2026 - Aicuris Anti-infective Cures AG (“Aicuris”) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement under which Asahi Kasei, through its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., will acquire all shares of Aicuris for a total of €780 million (~$920 million*). The acquisition will enable Asahi Kasei to strategically expand its portfolio of therapies designed to treat severe viral infections, addressing critical infectious complications faced by patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant, solid organ transplants and other immunologically driven conditions.","length":643,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Aicuris has established a strong track record in developing antiviral therapies for people with weakened immune systems, for whom otherwise manageable infections can become life-threatening. Building on its flagship product PREVYMIS® (marketed by MSD) for cytomegalovirus infection prevention in a defined group of transplant recipients, Aicuris’ wholly owned late-stage candidate pritelivir met the primary endpoint in a global Phase 3 trial in refractory herpes simplex virus infection and demonstrated statistical superiority versus investigator’s choice in immunocompromised patients. The company’s pipeline also includes AIC468, a Phase 2-ready therapeutic candidate designed to specifically treat and protect kidney transplant recipients from potentially severe consequence of BK virus (BKV) reactivation.","length":811,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"“Asahi Kasei’s goal to address serious unmet needs in infectious diseases aligns with our mission to provide innovative antiviral therapies for immunocompromised patients,” said Larry Edwards, CEO of Aicuris. “This transaction recognizes the strength o...