Allergan Buys Vitae Pharmaceuticals for $639mn

Allergan has acquired clinical-stage biotech Vitae Pharmaceuticals for $639 million. The deal will strengthen Allergan’s dermatology product pipeline, with the addition of VTP-43742, a Phase 2 first-in-class, orally active RORγt (retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor gamma) inhibitor for the potential treatment of psoriasis and other autoimmune disorders.

VTP-43742 acts through the potent inhibition of IL-17 activity. In preclinical studies, VTP-43742 has been observed to inhibit RORγt activity, is highly selective versus other ROR isotypes and may provide a treatment that could be administered as a once-daily oral dose. The compound recently completed a Phase 2 proof-of-concept multiple ascending dose trial in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.

The acquisition also adds VTP-38543, a topical LXRβ (Liver X Receptor beta) selective agonist for the potential treatment of atopic dermatitis. It is believed that VTP-38543 works by decreasing inflammation in damaged skin tissue and repairing the damaged outer layer of skin. VTP-38543 is currently in a Phase 2a proof-of-concept clinical trial assessing the safety, tolerability and efficacy in patients with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis.

Vitae has developed and utilizes its Contour structure-based drug design platform to discover product candidates for validated therapeutic targets where biopharmaceutical research and development has traditionally struggled to develop drugs due to challenges related to potency, selectivity and pharmacokinetics. This has provided Vitae’s R&D team the ability to create first-in-class product candidates for challenging therapeutic targets.

“The acquisition of Vitae is a strategic investment for Allergan that adds strength and depth to our innovative medical dermatology franchise,” said Brent Saunders, chief executive officer and president, Allergan.

“The Vitae team has been tremendously successful in discovering and conducting early development work in areas of medicine that can benefit from significant innovation,” said Jeff Hatfield, president and chief executive officer, Vitae. “Allergan has a long track record in developing and commercializing innovative dermatologic treatments. I believe our programs will be poised for successful development as part of Allergan’s portfolio.”

“Both the VTP-43742 and VTP-38543 programs offer the potential for highly differentiated mechanisms of action for the treatment of dermatologic conditions where patients are underserved by currently approved treatments,” said David Nicholson, chief research and development officer, Allergan. “In addition, Vitae’s novel Contour drug discovery platform and its team, which have been instrumental in the discovery of novel ‘difficult to drug’ compounds, will be highly complementary to Allergan’s existing R&D discovery efforts in key therapeutic areas.”