Roche to buy Spark Therapeutics in $4.3bn deal
Swiss drug maker Roche has agreed to buy Philadelphia-based Spark Therapeutics in a $4.3bn cash deal.
Roche
Fr.240.00
18:55 26/04/24
SPARK THERAPEUTICS
$0.00
14:25 11/03/24
Roche has offered $114.50 per share in cash, representing a premium of around 122% to Spark's closing price on Friday and a 19% premium to the stock's 52-week high on 9 July 2018.
Spark Therapeutics’ lead clinical asset is SPK-8011, a novel gene therapy for the treatment of haemophilia A, which is expected to start Phase 3 in 2019. The company also has SPK-8016 in a phase 1/2 trial aimed at addressing the haemophilia A inhibitor population.
Roche chief executive officer Severin Schwan said: "Spark Therapeutics’ proven expertise in the entire gene therapy value chain may offer important new opportunities for the treatment of serious diseases. In particular, Spark Therapeutics’ haemophilia A programme could become a new therapeutic option for people living with this disease. We are also excited to continue the investments in Spark Therapeutics’ broad product portfolio and commitment to Philadelphia as a centre of excellence. "
Spark Therapeutics will continue its operations in Philadelphia as an independent company within the Roche Group.
Spark's CEO, Jeffrey D. Marrazzo , said: "With its worldwide reach and extensive resources, Roche will help us accelerate the development of more gene therapies for more patients for more diseases and further expedite our vision of a world where no life is limited by genetic disease."