Veloxis Pharmaceuticals A/S

Asahi Kasei has agreed to acquire Germany-based Aicuris Anti-infective Cures AG for approximately EUR 780 million (USD 919 million), strengthening the Japanese group’s infectious disease portfolio focused on immunocompromised patients. The transaction will see Asahi Kasei purchase all issued shares of Aicuris and is expected to close by June 2026, subject to customary conditions. The acquisition adds a pipeline of antiviral therapies targeting infections common in transplant recipients and other immunocompromised populations, complementing Asahi Kasei’s existing presence in transplantation and nephrology. Aicuris pipeline and technologies Aicuris brings three key antiviral assets to Asahi Kasei. Prevymis (letermovir), a cytomegalovirus (CMV) terminase inhibitor discovered by Aicuris, is marketed globally by Merck under license. The drug is approved for CMV prophylaxis in transplant patients, and Aicuris receives royalties as the originator. These royalty revenues will transfer to Asahi Kasei after the acquisition closes. Pritelivir is a helicase-primase inhibitor targeting herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections in immunocompromised patients. The mechanism differs from nucleoside analog antivirals such as acyclovir, enabling activity against drug-resistant HSV strains. Pritelivir has received FDA Fast Track and Breakthrough Therapy designations, and Phase III studies have been completed, with a regulatory submission anticipated in 2026. The company’s earlier-stage program, AIC468, is an antisense oligonucleotide designed to inhibit replication of BK virus (BKV) in kidney transplant recipients. The therapy has completed Phase I development. No antiviral therapies are currently approved in the United States for BK virus infection. Strategic expansion in transplant and nephrology The acquisition continues Asahi Kasei’s strategy of building a specialty pharmaceutical platform focused on diseases affecting transplant recipients and kidney patients. The company acquired Veloxis Pharmaceuticals in 2020 for USD 1.3 billion, gaining the transplant immunosuppressant Envarsus XR, and Calliditas Therapeutics in 2024 for approximately USD 1.1 billion, adding Tarpeyo for IgA nephropathy. With Aicuris, Asahi Kasei expands into antiviral treatments for infections that frequently complicate transplantation, including CMV reactivation, HSV disease, and BK virus nephropathy. These infections remain significant clinical risks in transplant recipients despite advances in immunosuppressive therapy. Market and competitive landscape The antiviral pipeline targeting transplant-associated infections has drawn increasing industry interest in recent years. Programs in development include BK virus therapies such as MAU868, a monoclonal antibody currently in clinical trials, and next-generation HSV antivirals being developed by companies including Assembly Biosciences. Against this backdrop, the Aicuris acquisition provides Asahi Kasei with a combination of near-term commercial potential through pritelivir, existing royalty revenue from letermovir, and earlier-stage pipeline assets, strengthening its position in transplant medicine. The company expects the acquisition to contribute to operating income beginning in fiscal 2028, as it builds a broader pharmaceutical portfolio spanning transplantation, nephrology, and infectious diseases.

Asahi Kasei\'s move to acquire Aicuris will give it access to candidates in Aicuris’ pipeline, including a herpes simplex therapy that generated positive phase 3 results.\n Asahi Kasei has unveiled plans to acquire Aicuris in a deal worth 780 million euros ($920 million), marking the latest in a series of biotech M&A deals in recent weeks.For Asahi, the deal enables the Japanese conglomerate to add several approved and investigational assets designed to treat and protect against viral infections in immunocompromised individuals.Asahi’s U.S. subsidiary Veloxis Pharmaceuticals will execute the acquisition of Germany’s Aicuris, growing Asahi’s R&D portfolio by adding candidates designed to treat patients experiencing complications connected to hematopoietic stem cell transplants, solid organ transplants and other immunologically driven conditions, according to the Feb. 26 release.Aicuris spun out of Bayer in 2006, and, by 2010, had raised $75 million to focus on antiviral and antibacterial compounds. In 2012, Aicuris entered into an agreement with Merck to bring its flagship transplant infection prevention product, Prevymis, to market. The FDA approved Prevymis in November 2017, and Merck recently reported that it generated $978 million, making it the pharma’s ninth-highest-grossing drug last year. Asahi\'s move will also give it access to candidates in Aicuris’ pipeline, including a herpes simplex therapy that has generated positive phase 3 results and a phase 2-ready antiviral for kidney transplant patients to protect them from the “potentially severe consequence” of BK virus, according to the release. The Aicuris purchase “supports the thoughtful, stepwise expansion of our pipeline while reinforcing our strong and sustainable growth trajectory,” Asahi Kasei’s healthcare sector lead, Ken Shinomiya, said in a statement. The deal marks the second acquisition by Asahi in less than two years after it made a billion-dollar offer for Sweden\'s Calliditas Therapeutics in May 2024, which followed the FDA approval of Calliditas\' immunoglobulin A nephropathy treatment. Asahi also strengthened its antibody manufacturing capabilities by acquiring CDMO Bionova in 2022. And, just yesterday, Asahi announced a global license agreement with small-molecule drug specialist Alchemedicine to bolster Asahi\'s drug discovery pipeline.As for the Aicuris buyout, the acquisition stands to accelerate the biotech\'s research and launch readiness in the U.S. while expanding the reach of the company’s therapies for immunocompromised patients, CEO Larry Edwards said in a statement.The Asehi Kasei transaction is expected to close in the first half of this year. Elsewhere, the biotech M&A scene has come alive lately, with GSK this week paying $950 million for Canadian biotech 35Pharma. In addition, just this month, Gilead Sciences forked over $7.8 billion for its CAR-T partner Arcellx, and Eli Lilly spent $2.4 billion on Orna Therapeutics.

The Japanese conglomerate Asahi Kasei is adding a biotech to its sprawling business portfolio, agreeing to acquire a longstanding privately held German company. Asahi Kasei announced Thursday it has agreed to pay about $920 million to acquire Aicuris, the Wuppertal, Germany-headquartered antiviral specialist that was started as a Bayer spinout in 2006. The company will be acquired by Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, a US-based transplant medicine specialist, one of Asahi’s 400-plus subsidiaries. Aicuris’ majority shareholder is Athos KG, a German family office run by the twin billionaires Thomas and Andreas Strüngmann, who were also major early investors in BioNTech. In an interview with Endpoints News , Aicuris CEO Larry Edwards described the deal as a “very strong outcome for our shareholders.” Edwards, a longtime biotech veteran who became CEO in 2023, said Aicuris started fielding outside interest after a successful Phase 3 readout last October . That late-stage study showed its herpes drug pritelivir outperforming a comparator arm given an investigator’s choice of treatment. The biotech presented detailed trial results earlier this month at a medical conference, which showed its drug was more effective at healing lesions while leading to far fewer patient discontinuations. It plans to file for FDA approval in the first quarter of 2026, setting up a potential approval decision later this year. Edwards described Aicuris as cash-flow positive as well, driven by royalty payments it receives from Prevymis, a drug to prevent cytomegalovirus infection that it outlicensed to Merck in 2012. He deferred to Asahi’s leaders on how much of Aicuris and its 70-employee team will be integrated into or kept independent of the conglomerate’s other healthcare efforts. Asahi also owns Calliditas Therapeutics, a Swedish drugmaker focused on kidney disease. “There’s really just very strong synergies across the board on patient populations, as well as addressing unmet medical needs,” Edwards said. In its press release, Ashai mentioned its US-based transplant center channel and kidney disease network as helpful synergies with Aicuris. The all-cash transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026, the companies said.