Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) announced the completion of its acquisition of Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd., the maker of NURTEC® ODT (rimegepant), an innovative migraine therapy approved for both acute treatment and prevention of episodic migraine in adults.
The acquisition brings to Pfizer a portfolio of promising calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonists including:
- Rimegepant:
- Approved in the United States under the trade name NURTEC® ODT, in adults for both the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura and the preventive treatment of episodic migraine
- Approved in the European Union under the trade name VYDURA® for both the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults and the preventive treatment of episodic migraine in adults who have at least 4 migraine attacks per month
- Zavegepant:
- New Drug Application (NDA) for intranasal spray for the acute treatment of migraine under U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review, with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date in 1Q 2023
- A portfolio of pre-clinical CGRP assets
Pfizer acquired all of the outstanding shares of Biohaven not already owned by Pfizer for $148.50 per share in cash, for a total transaction consideration of approximately $11.6 billion. As a result of the acquisition, Biohaven became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pfizer.
Effective immediately prior to the closing of the acquisition, Biohaven completed the spin-off of Biohaven Ltd. (NYSE: BHVN), distributing Biohaven Ltd.'s shares to Biohaven's shareholders. Biohaven Ltd., a new company that retained Biohaven’s non-CGRP development stage pipeline compounds, holds the Kv7 ion channel activators, glutamate modulation, and myostatin inhibition platforms, preclinical product candidates, and certain corporate infrastructure assets excluded from the Pfizer acquisition. Pfizer, a Biohaven shareholder, received a pro rata portion of Biohaven Ltd.'s shares in the distribution and owns approximately 3% of Biohaven Ltd. Biohaven Ltd. will continue to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "BHVN".
About Migraine
Worldwide, more than one billion people suffer from migraine, which predominately affects women.(1) Findings from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study indicate that migraine is one of the worlds leading causes of disability.(2) Migraine is characterized by debilitating attacks lasting four to 72 hours with multiple symptoms, including pulsating headaches of moderate to severe pain intensity that can be associated with nausea or vomiting, and/or sensitivity to sound (phonophobia) and sensitivity to light (photophobia).(3)
About Rimegepant
Rimegepant targets a key component of migraine by reversibly blocking CGRP receptors, thereby inhibiting the biologic cascade that results in a migraine attack. Rimegepant was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the trade name Nurtec® ODT for the acute treatment of migraine in adults in February 2020 and for the preventive treatment of episodic migraine in adults in May 2021. Nurtec® ODT is taken orally as needed, up to once daily for acute treatment, and every other day for preventive treatment. The maximum dose in a 24 hour period is 75 mg.Please click here for full Prescribing Information.
About Zavegepant
Zavegepant is a third generation, high affinity, selective and structurally unique, small molecule CGRP receptor antagonist from the NOJECTION® Migraine Platform and the only CGRP receptor antagonist in clinical development with both intranasal and oral formulations. The FDA has accepted for review a New Drug Application (NDA) for zavegepant nasal spray, with a PDUFA date in 1Q 2023.
About Pfizer: Breakthroughs That Change Patients' Lives
At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products, including innovative medicines and vaccines. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 170 years, we have worked to make a difference for all who rely on us.
1. Ashina et al, Lancet; 2021; 397:1485-95
2. Steiner et al, The Journal of Headache and Pain; 2020; 21:137
3. Ferrari et al, Nature Review Disease Primers; 2022; 8(1):2