Vertex to acquire rights to cystic fibrosis treatment for $1.6m

US-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals has agreed to acquire a potential treatment for cystic fibrosis from Concert Pharmaceuticals, also in the US, for $160 million.

Under the agreement, Vertex will acquire the US development and commercial rights for CTP-656 for $160 million.

CTP-656 is an “investigational cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator potentiator”.

The announcement was made on Monday, March 6.

If CTP-656 is approved as part of a combination regimen to treat cystic fibrosis, "Concert could receive up to an additional $90 million in milestones, based on regulatory approval in the US and reimbursement in the UK, Germany or France".

Roger Tung, president and CEO of Concert, said: “With Vertex's clinical and commercial expertise in cystic fibrosis, this agreement provides the optimal pathway to rapidly advance the development of CTP-656 for the benefit of cystic fibrosis patients.”

He added that the financial strength provided to Concert by this agreement will allow the company to advance another treatment, called CTP-543, into “pivotal testing”.

CTP-543 is a treatment for baldness.