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news.Angelini Pharma has signed a definitive agreement to purchase Catalyst Pharmaceuticals for a total equity value of nearly €3.5bn ($4.1bn), marking its entrance into the US market and consolidating its focus on brain health and rare diseases.
Upon acquisition, Angelini Pharma will integrate Catalyst’s portfolio and infrastructure to advance rare disease therapies. Credit: MrWinn / Shutterstock.com.
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The acquisition has been approved unanimously by both companies’ boards of directors, with the transaction expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.
Angelini Pharma will purchase all outstanding Catalyst shares for $31.50 per share in cash.
The purchase will be financed with support from BNP Paribas, which is serving as the sole global coordinator and underwriter, alongside participation from Blackstone funds and select international partners.
Catalyst has established a portfolio of therapies for rare neuromuscular and neurological diseases.
The portfolio includes Firdapse (amifampridine), approved in the US for Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome in patients aged six and above, and Agamree (vamorolone), a corticosteroid for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in patients aged two years and above.
It also includes antiepileptic drug Fycompa (perampanel), for which US rights were acquired in 2023 from Eisai.
Upon completing the acquisition, Angelini Pharma plans to integrate Catalyst’s portfolio and infrastructure with its own expertise in brain health for developing a rare disease therapeutic platform.
The US market entry aligns with Angelini Pharma’s strategy to grow its North American presence and complements its existing European business, with Italy continuing as a strategic industrial base.
The deal will see a subsidiary of Angelini Pharma merge with Catalyst, which will continue as a wholly owned subsidiary. Completion is subject to Catalyst stockholder and regulatory approvals, and other customary conditions.
Angelini Pharma CEO Sergio Marullo di Condojanni said: “We invested in innovation through the development of a high-value asset pipeline, including collaborations with leading partners such as Blackstone Life Sciences in GRIN Therapeutics.
“Today, we take another significant step with the acquisition of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, which we believe will establish Angelini Pharma as a relevant global player in neurological rare diseases.”
In May 2024, Helsinn Group renewed a distribution and licence agreement with Angelini Pharma for the commercialisation of AULIN and MESULID (Nimesulide) to treat acute short-term pain in six European countries.
