2015年2月6日讯 /生物谷BIOON/ --阿斯利康宣布收购阿特维斯位于美国及加拿大呼吸系统药物业务。这笔交易最初出价是6亿美元，并有1亿美元的特定业绩额外付款。
在此次达成的协议中，阿斯利康将会获得阿特维斯两个治疗慢性阻塞性肺疾病的药物（COPD）在美国及加拿大的销售权，Tudorza Pressair（阿地溴铵吸入性粉剂），Daliresp（罗氟司特）。这两个药物在2014年为阿特维斯带来了2.3亿美元的收入。同时，阿斯利康也获得了另外一项慢性阻塞性肺疾病疗法的研发权，该项疗法已被欧洲部门批准。
此项交易始于2013年收购Almirall呼吸系统药物业务时，阿斯利康希望通过强化呼吸系统业务与葛兰素史克一较高下，自此呼吸系统药物也成为其重点发展的领域之一。阿斯利康预计每年销售额增长75%，在2023年达到450亿美元。
在2014年拒绝了辉瑞公司提出的690亿英镑（1050亿美元）收购提议后，阿斯利康在第四季度中有3.21亿美元的净亏损，而更早之前一年中有15亿美元的净利润。当季的收入同比减少2%，至66.8亿美元。公司在周四宣布了每股1.90美元的第二轮中期派息，将全年股息额度提高到了每股2.80美元。
随着阿斯利康核心药物专利到期，仿制药企业虎视眈眈，投资者也纷纷开始坐卧不安。然而，阿斯利康似乎并不担心，这家布局肿瘤免疫领域的巨头坚信免疫治疗药物是其营收的关键。不过，在这个充满着“虎”与“牛犊”的战场，阿斯利康是否能保持“没有辉瑞也能好好地赚钱”的底气，我们且看且期待。
关于Tudorza Pressair
Tudorza Pressair（阿地溴铵吸入性粉剂）用于治疗慢性阻塞性肺病（COPD）引起的支气管痉挛（肺气道变窄），包括慢性支气管炎和肺气肿的长期维持治疗。 Tudorza Pressair带干粉吸入器，每天使用两次，是一种长效抗胆碱药，能帮助肺部大气道周围的肌肉放松，从而改善通气。
Tudorza Pressair可能会引起严重的不良反应，包括反常的支气管痉挛、眼压增高或加重（急性窄角青光眼）、尿潴留或潴留加重。Tudorza Pressair不应被用作急救药物治疗突发呼吸问题（急性支气管痉挛），并且不推荐未满18岁患者使用。报道的Tudorza Pressair最常见的副作用包括头痛、鼻咽炎和咳嗽。
关于Daliresp
罗氟司特 (roflumilast，Daliresp)是磷酸二酯酶-4(PDE-4)抑制剂。可用于严重COPD患者的咳嗽及支气管相关的痰多等症状，可降低哮喘发作频率或者减轻严重的慢性阻塞性肺炎(COPD)的症状，不适用于轻度肺气肿等。
英文原文
AstraZeneca Plc ADR (NYSE: AZN) announced today that it will acquire Actavis Plc (NYSE: ACT)’s branded respiratory drug business in the US and Canada in an initial $600 million deal to expand its own respiratory drug business. Further $100 million will be paid to Actavis as it agrees to certain specified changes in the current collaborations between both the pharmaceuticals.
Under the agreement, AstraZeneca will acquire and sell two of Actavis’s chronic obstructive pulmonary disease drugs, Tudorza Pressair and Daliresp, in US and Canada. The drugs contributed combined revenue of $230 million for Actavis in 2014.
Furthermore, Astrazenca will also acquire the rights to develop another treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the US; the treatment has been already approved by the European regulators.
The deal builds upon AstraZeneca’s earlier acquisition of the lung drugs portfolio from Almirall in July 2013. The company has been expanding its respiratory drugs business in order to establish a strong enough position for itself to stand against competitors including GlaxoSmithKline Plc (NYSE: GSK). Astra Zeneca has been focusing on its respiratory drugs business claiming it to be a main therapeutic area; the company has anticipated a sharp 75% growth in annual sales to $45 billion by the year 2023.
The company announced the acquisition deal after reported disappointing results for the fourth quarter of its fiscal year 2014 (4QFY14). The company reported a net loss of $321 million versus a net loss of $524 million for the same period of 2013. Core earnings of $0.76 per share were reported by AstraZeneca compared to analysts’ consensus which projected core earnings to be around $0.82 per share.
The company reported a 2% decline in revenues $6.68 billion for the fourth quarter of 2014 compared to the same period in 2013. Analysts had estimated revenue to be $6.8 billion for quarter. However, without accounting for currency fluctuations sales for the fourth quarter grew 2%.
The investors have been raising concerns about the company's problems due to increasing availability of generic copies for its key drugs which have recently seen their patents expire. In such a scenario, the acquisition of Actavis’ business unit can only bode well for the company.
AstraZeneca, however, has been able to reaffirm investors’ trust by demonstrating the optimistic potential for its cancer treatment drugs which are expected to be key revenue generators for the company. The company has been working hard towards the development of a new generation of drugs which belong to the emerging class of “immuno-oncology drugs” which work by reprogramming and stimulating patients’ immune systems to fight off the cancer tumors.
Actavis stock closed more than 3% higher, while AstraZenca stock shed about 2.5%.