Amgen has acquired the Netherlands-based cholesterol drugmaker Dezima Pharma in a deal that could be valued at more than $1.5 billion. Dezima’s oral drug TA-8995 is under development to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, with effectiveness of up to 48% in a mid-stage trial.
Amgen will also collaborate with Novartis to combine each company’s BACE (beta-site APP-cleaving enzyme-1) programs targeting Alzheimer’s disease into a global co-commercialization and co-development arrangement. Novartis’ Phase 1/2a BACE inhibitor (CNP520) will be the lead molecule and each company’s pre-clinical BACE inhibitor programs will be potential follow-ons.