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GSK reaches agreement to acquire BELLUS Health Inc
GSK reaches agreement to acquire BELLUS Health Inc.
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[{"type":"text","content":"\n \n \n Issued: 18 April 2023, London UK\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n GSK reaches agreement to acquire late-stage biopharmaceutical company BELLUS Health\n \n \n \n \n \n \n · \n Acquisition further strengthens specialty medicines and respiratory pipeline with\n camlipixant, a highly selective P2X3 antagonist and potential best-in-class treatment for refractory chronic cough\n \n \n · \n Currently in phase III clinical development with anticipated regulatory approval and launch in 2026\n \n \n · \n Accretive to adjusted EPS from 2027 with significant sales potential through 2031\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n GSK plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) and BELLUS Health Inc. (TSX/NASDAQ: BLU) today announced that they have entered into an agreement under which GSK will acquire BELLUS, a Canada-based, late-stage biopharmaceutical company working to better the lives of patients suffering from refractory chronic cough (RCC) for US$14.75 per share of common stock in cash representing an approximate total equity value of US$2.0 billion (£1.6 billion). The acquisition provides GSK access to camlipixant, a potential best-in-class and highly selective P2X3 antagonist currently in phase III development for the first-line treatment of adult patients with RCC.\n \n \n \n \n \n It is estimated that 28 million patients suffer from chronic cough, with 10 million patients globally and 6 million in the United States (US) and European Union (EU) suffering from\n RCC for over a year.[1] RCC is defined as\n a persistent cough for more than eight weeks that does not respond to treatment for an underlying condition or is otherwise unexplained.[2]\n RCC significantly impacts quality of life, with patients suffering from depression (53%), urinary incontinence (~50%), pain, rib fractures, social withdrawal, and loss of sleep.\n [3]\n \n ,[4]\n \n There are no approved medicines for RCC in the US and EU.\n \n \n \n \n \n P2X3 is a validated biological target implicated in cough reflex hypersensitisation, and camlipixant is a highly selective P2X3 antagonist. Current clinical data show that by selectively inhibiting P2X3 receptors, camlipixant may reduce cough frequency for patients suffering from RCC with a relatively low incidence of dysgeusia, the taste disturbance adverse event associated with other ...