Pharma BD Deal Intelligence
Calixa's antibiotic became Zerbaxa and got FDA-approved, but it never became the "market leader" Cubist hoped for — and a 2020 sterility recall triggered a $1.6B impairment for eventual owner Merck.
Full analysis, sources & comparables →Cubist to acquire Calixa for $92.5M cash upfront plus up to $310M in development, regulatory and commercial milestones; CXA-201 combines novel anti-pseudomonal…
Zerbaxa received FDA approval December 2014 for cUTI and cIAI, with later HABP/VABP expansion; demonstrated potency against multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas…
Source summaries from our enrichment pipeline; follow links for originals.
All 4 sources with sentiment breakdown →
$92.5M upfront cash + up to $310M milestones. CXA-101 (ceftolozane/tazobactam, Zerbaxa) anti-infective. Source: Fierce Biotech, Cubist 10-K.
Calixa's antibiotic became Zerbaxa and got FDA-approved, but it never became the "market leader" Cubist hoped for — and a 2020 sterility recall triggered a $1.6B impairment for eventual owner Merck.
Assessment window: 15yr post-close.
| Deal | Year | Value | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. / Calixa Therapeutics, Inc. (this deal) | 2009 | $402M | 52 |
| Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. / Adolor Corporation | 2011 | $415M | 49 |
| Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. / Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 2013 | $801M | 45 |
| Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. / Trius Therapeutics Inc. | 2013 | $707M | 44 |
| Astellas Pharma Inc. / Seagen Inc. | 2009 | $4.5B | 95 |
| Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / Medarex Inc. | 2009 | $2.4B | 92 |
| Johnson & Johnson / Cougar Biotechnology, Inc. | 2009 | $970M | 91 |