Pharma BD Deal Intelligence
Outcome grade pending — assessed 5 years post-close.
Full analysis, sources & comparables →Novartis announced the initiation of Lp(HORIZON), a Phase 3 cardiovascular outcomes trial of TQJ230 (pelacarsen), an investigational antisense therapy…
On August 31, 2020, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Akcea Therapeutics, Inc. entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger pursuant to which Ionis will acquire…
Ionis closed the Akcea acquisition on October 12, 2020, completing the tender offer at $18.15 per share for total consideration of approximately $500 million.…
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Ionis Pharmaceuticals announced acquisition of the remaining ~24% stake in Akcea Therapeutics it didn't already own at $18.15/share cash, ~$500M total. Brought Tegsedi, Waylivra, pelacarsen and other antisense programs fully back under Ionis. Tender offer completed October 2020. DEVELOPMENTS SINCE: The antisense pipeline that underpinned the buy-in has reshaped materially. Vupanorsen was discontinued in January 2022 after Pfizer reviewed Phase 2b TRANSLATE-TIMI 70 data — the non-HDL-C/triglyceride reduction was insufficient and the drug showed dose-dependent liver-fat and ALT/AST increases — and returned rights to Ionis. Tegsedi (inotersen) was withdrawn from the U.S. market in 2024 for low utilization (not safety/quality); it remains available ex-U.S. via Sobi (Europe) and PTC Therapeutics (Brazil). Waylivra (volanesorsen) never secured U.S. FDA approval (thrombocytopenia) and is marketed ex-U.S. only. The principal remaining upside, pelacarsen (Lp(a), partnered with Novartis), completed enrollment of the 8,323-patient Phase 3 Lp(a) HORIZON cardiovascular outcomes trial; Novartis guided topline data to the first half of 2026 (not yet publicly reported as of this review).
Assessment window: 5yr post-close.
| Deal | Year | Value | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. / Akcea Therapeutics, Inc. (this deal) | 2020 | $500M | — |
| Pfizer Inc. / FoldRx Pharmaceuticals | 2010 | — | 99 |
| Abbott Laboratories / Knoll Pharmaceuticals (BASF Pharma) | 2000 | $6.9B | 95 |
| Astra AB / Zeneca Group plc | 1998 | $35.0B | 94 |
| Merck & Co. Inc. / Acceleron Pharma Inc. | 2021 | $11.5B | 90 |
| Johnson & Johnson / Actelion Ltd | 2017 | $30.0B | 90 |
| Eli Lilly and Company / Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH | 2011 | $444M | 89 |
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