Agios Announces $905 Million Purchase Agreement for Vorasidenib Royalty
Agios Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: AGIO) announced a $905 million purchase agreement with Royalty Pharma for the acquisition of its 15% royalty on potential U.S. net sales of vorasidenib, an oral dual inhibitor for IDH-mutant diffuse glioma. Upon FDA approval of vorasidenib, Agios will receive an upfront payment of $905 million and retain rights to a $200 million milestone payment from Servier, totaling $1.1 billion. The PDUFA action date is set for August 20, 2024. Agios will maintain a 3% royalty on annual U.S. net sales over $1 billion. This transaction is expected to boost Agios' financial flexibility and support future product launches and pipeline expansion.
- Agios to receive $905 million upfront payment upon FDA approval of vorasidenib.
- Additional $200 million milestone payment from Servier, totaling $1.1 billion.
- PDUFA action date set for August 20, 2024, indicating a clear timeline.
- Agios retains a 3% royalty on annual U.S. net sales above $1 billion.
- Potential for significant financial flexibility and strategic expansion.
- Dependence on FDA approval for receipt of $905 million and $200 million payments.
- Loss of full 15% royalty on U.S. net sales of vorasidenib to Royalty Pharma.
- Reduced long-term royalty income from vorasidenib sales.
Insights
The purchase agreement between Agios Pharmaceuticals and Royalty Pharma is a significant financial event. Agios stands to receive
For shareholders, this deal can be seen as a positive move as it reduces financial risk while retaining potential long-term gains. Agios will receive milestone and royalty payments contingent on vorasidenib's success, ensuring they benefit from future revenues without bearing all the associated risks. This deal highlights the strategic financial planning by Agios management to secure funding for ongoing and future projects while maintaining a stake in the drug's success.
The potential downside is that Agios will no longer receive the full 15% royalty on future sales above $1 billion, which could limit long-term earnings from vorasidenib. Investors should consider this trade-off between immediate capital infusion and future revenue potential.
Vorasidenib, as a treatment for IDH-mutant diffuse glioma, represents a promising development in oncology, particularly in treating brain tumors. The drug's designation with a PDUFA action date of August 20, 2024, indicates that regulatory review is progressing.
For the medical community, the efficacy and safety profile of vorasidenib will be closely monitored. If approved, it could offer a new therapeutic option for patients with limited alternatives. Additionally, the involvement of Royalty Pharma, a dedicated player in intellectual property monetization, underscores the anticipated market potential and clinical relevance of vorasidenib.
However, the approval is not guaranteed and investors should be aware of the inherent risks involved in drug development and regulatory approval processes.
– Royalty Pharma to Acquire Rights to Agios’
– Agios Retains Rights to
– In Total, Agios to Receive
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGIO), a leader in cellular metabolism and PK activation pioneering therapies for rare diseases, announced that the company has agreed to sell its rights to its
Vorasidenib is an oral, selective, highly brain-penetrant dual inhibitor of mutant isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH1/2) enzymes for the treatment of IDH-mutant diffuse glioma. In 2021, Agios completed the sale of its oncology portfolio – including vorasidenib – to Servier. As part of that divestiture, Agios is owed a milestone payment of
“It’s an exciting time at Agios with multiple near-term catalysts that we believe have the potential to make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives and create significant shareholder value. With this transaction, we have added significant financial flexibility while retaining long-term value and have identified a partner in Royalty Pharma that shares our excitement about the potential of vorasidenib,” said Brian Goff, chief executive officer at Agios. “This transaction will provide us with the financial independence to prepare for potential PYRUKYND® (mitapivat) launches in thalassemia and sickle cell disease as we build a PK activation franchise with multi-billion-dollar potential, and to opportunistically expand our pipeline through both internally and externally discovered assets.”
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor to Agios; WilmerHale served as legal advisor to Agios.
About Agios
Agios is the pioneering leader in PK activation and is dedicated to developing and delivering transformative therapies for patients living with rare diseases. In the U.S., Agios markets a first-in-class pyruvate kinase (PK) activator for adults with PK deficiency, the first disease-modifying therapy for this rare, lifelong, debilitating hemolytic anemia. Building on the company's deep scientific expertise in classical hematology and leadership in the field of cellular metabolism and rare hematologic diseases, Agios is advancing a robust clinical pipeline of investigational medicines with programs in alpha- and beta-thalassemia, sickle cell disease, pediatric PK deficiency, MDS-associated anemia and phenylketonuria (PKU). In addition to its clinical pipeline, Agios is advancing a preclinical TMPRSS6 siRNA as a potential treatment for polycythemia vera. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.agios.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include those regarding the potential FDA approval of vorasidenib; Agios’ use of proceeds from the transaction with Royalty Pharma; potential U.S. net sales of vorasidenib and potential future royalty payments; Agios’ plans, strategies and expectations for the preclinical, clinical and commercial advancement and potential of its drug development programs, including PYRUKYND® (mitapivat); and the potential benefits of Agios’ strategic plans and focus. The words “anticipate,” “expect,” “goal,” “hope,” “milestone,” “plan,” “potential,” “possible,” “strategy,” “will,” “vision,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Such statements are subject to numerous important factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from Agios’ current expectations and beliefs. For example, there can be no guarantee that any product candidate Agios is developing will successfully commence or complete necessary preclinical and clinical development phases, or that development of any of Agios’ product candidates will successfully continue. There can be no guarantee that any positive developments in Agios’ business will result in stock price appreciation. Management's expectations and, therefore, any forward-looking statements in this press release could also be affected by risks and uncertainties relating to a number of other important factors, including, without limitation: risks and uncertainties related to the impact of pandemics or other public health emergencies to Agios’ business, operations, strategy, goals and anticipated milestones, including its ongoing and planned research activities, ability to conduct ongoing and planned clinical trials, clinical supply of current or future drug candidates, commercial supply of current or future approved products, and launching, marketing and selling current or future approved products; Agios’ results of clinical trials and preclinical studies, including subsequent analysis of existing data and new data received from ongoing and future studies; the content and timing of decisions made by the U.S. FDA, the EMA or other regulatory authorities, investigational review boards at clinical trial sites and publication review bodies; Agios’ ability to obtain and maintain requisite regulatory approvals and to enroll patients in its planned clinical trials; unplanned cash requirements and expenditures; competitive factors; Agios' ability to obtain, maintain and enforce patent and other intellectual property protection for any product candidates it is developing; Agios’ ability to establish and maintain key collaborations; uncertainty regarding any milestone or royalty payments related to the sale of its oncology business or its in-licensing of TMPRSS6 siRNA, and the uncertainty of the timing of any such payments; uncertainty of the results and effectiveness of the use of Agios’ cash and cash equivalents; and general economic and market conditions. These and other risks are described in greater detail under the caption "Risk Factors" included in Agios’ public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and Agios expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Contacts for Agios:
Investor Contact
Chris Taylor, VP Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
Agios Pharmaceuticals
IR@agios.com
Media Contact
Dan Budwick
1AB
dan@1abmedia.com
FAQ
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