Jazz Pharmaceuticals to Acquire Actio Biosciences, Expanding Rare Epilepsy Portfolio
The deal adds ABS-1230, a potential first-in-class oral therapy for KCNT1+ epilepsy, which affects about 2,500 patients in the United States.
- On Monday, Jazz Pharmaceuticals agreed to acquire Actio Biosciences for up to $1.32 billion, adding the experimental precision therapy ABS-1230 for KCNT1-related epilepsy to its rare disease portfolio.
- Affecting approximately 2,500 patients in the United States, KCNT1-related epilepsy causes dozens to hundreds of daily seizures and currently lacks U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved therapies.
- The drug recently produced "meaningful seizure reductions" in an early proof-of-concept trial, Actio and Jazz reported, and is currently being evaluated in the Phase 1b/2a KYRON trial.
- Jazz will pay $820 million upfront and up to $500 million in milestone payments; Actio will spin out a new private entity to develop other rare neurological disease programs.
- Expected to close in the final three months of 2026, Jazz CEO Renee Gala called the acquisition "highly strategic," building on the Epidiolex franchise and deepening the company's rare epilepsy leadership.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Jazz Pharma Expands Again in Epilepsy With $820M Actio Bio Acquisition
Jazz Pharmaceuticals, maker of the blockbuster epilepsy drug Epidiolex, is acquiring Actio Biosciences and its lead drug in pivotal testing for a rare type of epilepsy with no FDA-approved treatments. It’s Jazz’s second epilepsy deal in the past year.
Pharmalittle: We're reading about a Sanofi drug shortage, a Jazz Pharma deal, and more
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating because that oh-too-familiar routine of meetings, deadlines, and the like has returned with a vengeance. You knew this would happen, yes? To cope, we are relying, as always, on a cuppa stimulation. Our choice today is honeybush vanilla turmeric. Feel free to join us. Remember, no prescription is required. Meanwhile, here are som…
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