TAVNEOS® (avacopan), a First-in-Class Medicine for Patients With Severe Active ANCA-Associated Vasculitis, Added to Inflammation Portfolio
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) today announced that it has successfully completed its previously announced acquisition of ChemoCentryx, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCXI), a biopharmaceutical company focused on orally administered therapeutics to treat autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders and cancer, for $52 per share in cash, representing aggregate merger consideration of approximately $3.7 billion.
“ChemoCentryx enhances Amgen’s leading inflammation and nephrology portfolio and includes TAVNEOS® (avacopan), a first-in-class treatment for severe active anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis (ANCA-associated vasculitis), an autoimmune disease for which there remains significant unmet medical need,” said Robert A. Bradway, chairman and chief executive officer at Amgen. “We look forward to welcoming the dedicated professionals from ChemoCentryx who share our passion for advancing innovation that makes a difference for patients. Together, we aim to serve more patients affected by serious diseases.”
The acquisition includes TAVNEOS®, an orally administered selective complement 5a receptor inhibitor that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2021 as an adjunctive therapy for adults with severe active ANCA-associated vasculitis in addition to standard of care, which generally consists of glucocorticoids and either rituximab or cyclophosphamide immunosuppressant therapy. Beyond its approved ANCA-associated vasculitis indication, TAVNEOS® is also being studied in additional inflammatory diseases, including hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a severe and deforming chronic dermatological condition, and complement 3 glomerulopathy (C3G), a rare genetic kidney disease.
In addition to TAVNEOS®, the acquisition adds three early-stage drug candidates that target chemoattractant receptors and other inflammatory diseases and an oral checkpoint for cancer.
