Pharma BD Deal Intelligence
UCB acquired Zogenix for up to ~$1.9B ($26/share cash plus a $2/share contingent value right tied to EU approval of Fintepla in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome by 31 Dec 2023). The deal added Fintepla (fenfluramine), an FDA-approved oral solution for Dravet syndrome, expanding UCB's epilepsy and rare-neurology franchise as legacy antiseizure brands (e.g. Vimpat) faced generic erosion. The deal closed 7 March 2022. The acquisition thesis has since been validated: the FDA approved Fintepla for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome on 28 March 2022 and the EU followed on 8 February 2023 — satisfying the CVR milestone ahead of the deadline, so the full ~$1.9B consideration (including the $2/share CVR) was realized. Fintepla has scaled into a UCB growth driver, reaching over 14,000 patients with rare epileptic syndromes by end-2025.