阿斯利康有意收购亚太较大单抗药物生产企业Celltrion

 

7月31日，韩国生物制品制造商Celltrion股价在首尔交易所创纪录的上涨15%涨停至65400韩元，是该公司自2005年开始股票交易以来的最高股价，同时使得该公司市值达到了6600亿韩元（合59亿美元），这是源于有消息称，阿斯利康（AstraZeneca）可能会收购该公司。目前，Celltrion是全球第二大单抗药物生产企业，也是亚太地区最大的单克隆抗体药物生产企业。

首尔财经消息（Financial News）昨日报道，援引一位投资银行家，总部位于仁川的Celltrion制药，其高层自今年4月以来便开始接触全球制药巨头，谈判可能的出售计划，目前正在于英国第二大制药公司阿斯利康洽谈。

消息称，Celltrion董事长徐贞金（Seo Jung Jin）今年4月在一封电子邮件声明中称，计划出售其在Celltrion的股票以及2个子公司给一个跨国制药巨头，但没有提供进一步的细节。

阿斯利康发言人Ayesha Bharmal昨日在伦敦通过电话发表声明称，不会对市场传言发表评论。Celltrion发言人金俊锡（Kim Joon Seok）也拒绝就财经消息的报道发表评论。

目前，由于畅销药物面临着仿制药的竞争，阿斯利康一直在侦察小到中等规模的收购。阿斯利康CEO Pascal Soriot称，会追求30-40亿美元的收购交易，如果有好的选择，也不排除考虑大型收购。

今年6月下旬，Celltrion制药和Hospira制药开发的Remicade（类克，通用名：infliximab，英夫利昔单抗）生物仿制药获得了欧洲药品管理局（EMA）的积极意见，有望成为对抗重磅生物制剂中首批抗体生物仿制药中的一员。去年，Celltrion制药的生物仿制药Remsima获得韩国批准上市，目前，Remsima在欧洲和美国的监管审查正在进行中。Remicade是强生的重磅关节炎药物，销售额达60亿美元。

阿斯利康一直期待着能够在其呼吸道疾病、炎症、自身免疫性疾病、心血管疾病、代谢疾病、癌症等核心领域添加新的产品。该公司昨日宣布，支付高达8.15亿美元及可能的特许权使用费，授权获得FibroGen公司实验性贫血药物的开发权利，双方将在美国和中国慢性肾脏病和终末期肾病患者中开展III期临床试验，测试该实验性药物。

此外，本月有知情人士爆料称，阿斯利康也在积极准备竞购Onyx制药，这将使阿斯利康获得数个抗癌药物，包括血癌治疗药物Kyprolis。彭博社本月22日报道称，辉瑞（Pfizer）、诺华（Novartis）也在准备竞标Onyx制药，同时安进（Amgen）也仍然有兴趣收购Onyx制药。此前，Onyx制药曾拒绝了来自安进（Amgen）主动提出的100亿美元收购要约。安进提出的收购要约为每股全现金120美元，但Onyx制药董事会认为，安进的报价严重低估了该公司的价值和前景。

据分析师预计，竞标的赢家将获得Onyx制药的血癌药物Kyprolis，截止2019年，该药的销售可能会飙升9倍至24亿美元。

Onyx制药其他产品包括抗癌药物多吉美（Nexavar，用于肝癌和肾癌治疗）和Stivarga（用于胃癌治疗），该公司2012年收入3.62亿美元，80%销售来自这2个药物。

 

Celltrion Jumps to Record on AstraZeneca Takeover Bid Report

2013-07-31T10:18:38Z Celltrion Inc. (068270) jumped to a record in Seoul trading on speculation the South Korean maker of biological drugs may be bought by AstraZeneca Plc. (AZN)

Celltrion shares rose by the daily limit of 15 percent to 65,400 won, the highest since the stock began trading in 2005, and giving the company a market value of 6.6 trillion won ($5.9 billion). Executives at Incheon-based Celltrion have contacted various global companies about a possible sale since April and are in talks with the U.K. drugmaker, Seoul-based Financial News reported today, citing investment bankers it didn’t name.

Celltrion Chairman Seo Jung Jin plans to sell his stake in Celltrion and two affiliates to a “multinational” pharmaceutical company, the drugmaker said in an e-mailed statement in April, without giving further details.

AstraZeneca doesn’t comment on market speculation, spokeswoman Ayesha Bharmal said by phone in London today. Celltrion spokesman Kim Joon Seok also declined to comment on the Financial News report.

AstraZeneca has been scouting small to mid-sized acquisitions as its best-selling drugs face generic competition. Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot said he would pursue deals of $3 billion to $4 billion and would consider larger ones if they were a good fit. Celltrion was one of two companies to win European backing in June to sell the first copies of Johnson & Johnson’s (JNJ) Remicade, a $6 billion therapy for arthritis.

AstraZeneca is looking to add products in the core areas of respiratory, inflammation and autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular and metabolic illnesses, and cancer. It announced today that it would pay as much as $815 million plus possible royalties to license an anemia drug from FibroGen Inc. The companies will test the treatment in patients with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease in late-phase trials in the U.S. and China.

AstraZeneca is also preparing a bid for Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ONXX), which would give it cancer medicines including blood cancer treatment Kyprolis, two people familiar with the matter said this month.