Pharma BD Deal Intelligence

Pfizer Inc. / Therachon Holding AG

2019 · Acquisition/Merger · $810M · Complete

Outcome grade pending — assessed 5 years post-close.

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The coverage arc

May 08, 2019 BioSpace Bullish

Pfizer CSO Mikael Dolsten: 'By acquiring Therachon, we hope to leverage Pfizer's leading scientific and development capabilities to more rapidly advance this…

May 08, 2019 Pharmaphorum Bullish

TA-46 is a recombinant FGFR3 decoy administered weekly subcutaneously; Pfizer to compete directly with BioMarin's vosoritide which has 'caught analysts' eyes'…

Mar 27, 2023 ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04638153) Bearish

Phase 2 study of recifercept in children with achondroplasia. Overall status: TERMINATED. Why stopped: 'The study was terminated due to lack of efficacy at any…

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Pfizer agreed to acquire Swiss clinical-stage biotech Therachon Holding AG for $340M upfront plus up to $470M in development milestones (~$810M total); announced 13-Feb-2019 and closed 1-Jul-2019. The lead asset, TA-46 (later named recifercept), is a soluble recombinant human FGFR3 decoy designed to sequester FGF ligands extracellularly and normalize overactive FGFR3 signaling in achondroplasia — a mechanism distinct from BioMarin's CNP-analog vosoritide (VOXZOGO). Pfizer divested Therachon's secondary FGF21 short-bowel-syndrome program back to the founders. The thesis ultimately did not pan out: Pfizer's Phase 2 study of recifercept in children (NCT04638153) was terminated on 18-Nov-2022 for lack of efficacy at all tested doses (not a safety concern), and Pfizer formally discontinued the recifercept achondroplasia program on 31-Jan-2023 amid a broader pipeline thinning — leaving BioMarin's VOXZOGO uncontested among approved achondroplasia therapies.

Did it work? Outcome assessment

Strategic verdict
Failed to Achieve
Financial impact
Impaired/Written Down
Pipeline outcome
Assets Terminated

Key facts

Related deals — scored

DealYearValueOutcome
Pfizer Inc. / Therachon Holding AG (this deal)2019$810M
Pfizer Inc. / BioNTech SE2020$748M100
Pfizer Inc. / FoldRx Pharmaceuticals201099
Pfizer Inc. / Medivation Inc.2016$14.0B86
Pfizer Inc. / Wyeth2009$68.0B86
Pfizer Inc. / Warner-Lambert Company2000$90.0B83
Pfizer Inc. / Arvinas, Inc.2021$2.4B77

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