Pharma BD Deal Intelligence
Actiq became a ~$500M blockbuster for Cephalon but its off-label marketing triggered a $425M federal fraud settlement, tainting the deal's legacy before generics arrived in 2006.
Full analysis, sources & comparables →Cephalon's $444M all-stock acquisition of Anesta gave it Actiq for breakthrough cancer pain plus a 60-person oncology sales force; CEO Frank Baldino called it…
Anesta shareholders approved the merger 10 October 2000; the combined company will focus on Provigil, Actiq and Gabitril, with Salt Lake City staffing…
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Cephalon Inc. acquired Anesta Corp. in an all-stock merger valued at approximately $444 million. The transaction gave Cephalon the marketed product Actiq (oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate) for breakthrough cancer pain, together with an approximately 60-person oncology sales force that broadened Cephalon's commercial reach beyond its CNS franchise (Provigil, Gabitril). Anesta shareholders approved the merger on October 10, 2000.
Actiq became a ~$500M blockbuster for Cephalon but its off-label marketing triggered a $425M federal fraud settlement, tainting the deal's legacy before generics arrived in 2006.
Assessment window: 15yr post-close.
| Deal | Year | Value | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cephalon Inc. / Anesta Corp. (this deal) | 2001 | $444M | 65 |
| Cephalon Inc. / Laboratoire L. Lafon S.A. (Group Lafon) | 2000 | $450M | 89 |
| Cephalon Inc. / Salmedix, Inc. | 2005 | $160M | 89 |
| Cephalon Inc. / Group Lafon (France) | 2001 | $450M | 80 |
| Cephalon Inc. / Cell Therapeutics, Inc. | 2005 | $70M | 74 |
| Cephalon Inc. / Anesta Corp. | 2000 | $444M | 64 |
| Cephalon Inc. / Zeneus Holdings Limited (Zeneus Pharma) | 2005 | $360M | 63 |
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