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7 August 2017Americas

Mallinckrodt acquires paediatric pharma company

Mallinckrodt has acquired InfaCare Pharmaceutical Corporation, a company specialising in the development and commercialisation of pharmaceuticals for neonatal and paediatric patients.

As part of the agreement, which was announced on Friday, August 4, Mallinckrodt will pay $80 million. Additional payments of up to $345 million may be made, depending on regulatory and sales milestones being met.

InfaCare’s developmental product stannsoporfin, which inhibits the enzyme heme oxygenase, is being studied for its potential to reduce the production of bilirubin (a bile pigment).

The elevation of bilirubin can contribute to serious negative consequences in infants—and jaundice, or hyperbilirubinemia, is a common clinical condition seen in both term and pre-term new-borns.

In July 2016, InfaCare and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reached agreement that a New Drug Application could be filed for stannsoporfin.

In December last year, the FDA granted stannsoporfin its fast track designation, a process designed to “facilitate development and expedite the review of drugs to treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need”.

Steven Romano, chief scientific officer and executive vice president of Mallinckrodt, said: “We look forward to bringing this much-needed treatment option to babies at greatest risk for the consequences of this condition.”

Dan Burns, president and CEO of InfaCare, added: “We’re also excited by the additional development capability and commercial reach that can be gained by becoming part of Mallinckrodt. Together I’m confident we can successfully bring this important treatment to market.”

Mallinckrodt estimates that the total number of term births is estimated at 3.7 million per year in the US. Of those, approximately 750,000 infants are treated for jaundice.

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More on this story

Americas
6 September 2017   Industrial gases company Praxair has been cleared of patent infringement in a district court ruling after Mallinckrodt accused the company of infringing its respiratory treatment Inomax (nitric oxide).
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2 January 2018   Mallinckrodt has revealed plans to acquire biopharmaceutical company Sucampo Pharmaceuticals for $1.2 billion.