Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) and KAI Pharmaceuticals today announced an agreement under which Amgen will acquire KAI, a privately held pharmaceutical company based in South San Francisco. KAI's lead product candidate, KAI-4169, is a novel agent being initially studied for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are on dialysis. SHPT, a component of CKD mineral and bone disorder (MBD), is a common and serious complication for patients with CKD who are on dialysis. Through this acquisition, Amgen will acquire worldwide rights, excluding Japan, to KAI-4169.
Under terms of the agreement, Amgen will pay $315 million in cash to acquire KAI. In connection with the parties' entering into the agreement, Amgen has provided a loan to enable Phase 3 clinical development planning for KAI-4169 prior to closing. The transaction has been approved by the stockholders of KAI and approved by the Board of Directors of each company. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Following the completion of the transaction, KAI will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Amgen. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor and Latham & Watkins acted as legal advisor to KAI on the transaction. Amgen was advised by Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.
KAI-4169 is an innovative experimental therapy that is administered intravenously at the same time the patient is undergoing dialysis. The vast majority of CKD patients on dialysis are affected by SHPT, a component of CKD-MBD, which can lead to serious consequences.
"KAI has demonstrated encouraging results in the clinic. We are excited about acquiring KAI, as well as the opportunity to potentially deliver a novel therapy for chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis suffering from secondary hyperparathyroidism," said Sean E. Harper, M.D., executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen.
"KAI and the nephrology community are excited by the additional clinical data we've generated for KAI-4169, and we are thrilled that Amgen shares our perspective on the differentiated profile and potential of this product candidate," said Steve James, president and chief executive officer of KAI. "Amgen is ideally positioned to bring KAI-4169 to market and to patients, given the company's decades of experience in developing and delivering therapies for patients with chronic kidney disease."
About Amgen
Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative human therapeutics. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen was one of the first companies to realize the new science's promise by bringing safe, effective medicines from lab to manufacturing plant to patient. Amgen therapeutics have changed the practice of medicine, helping millions of people around the world in the fight against cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, bone disease and other serious illnesses. With a deep and broad pipeline of potential new medicines, Amgen remains committed to advancing science to dramatically improve people's lives.
About KAI Pharmaceuticals
KAI is a clinical-stage, biopharmaceutical company with a lead peptide product candidate, KAI-4169, in development for the treatment of CKD-MBD, and initially being developed for the treatment of SHPT. Building on positive, earlier-stage clinical data, KAI has initiated its second Phase 2 study of KAI-4169 in CKD patients on dialysis. Further, in September 2011, KAI entered into a partnership with Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. wherein Ono will develop and commercialize KAI-4169 in Japan. In addition, KAI is conducting preclinical research on pre-hemodialysis applications of KAI-4169. KAI's leadership team has a strong background and track record in successful product development and commercialization. The Company has raised $63 million in Series A and B rounds and is backed by a leading syndicate of venture investors InterWest Partners, Skyline Ventures, Intersouth Partners, Aberdare Ventures, Investor Growth Capital, Kearny Venture Partners, Lumira Capital and Delphi Ventures.