The move comes after Asahi Kasei signed a definitive agreement to acquire all issued shares of Aicuris for approximately €780m ($920.7m) earlier this year.
The acquisition aligns with Asahi Kasei’s initiative to enhance its global speciality pharmaceutical platform and focus on severe infectious diseases.
Aicuris brings three antiviral assets at various stages, from marketed to clinical development, and they complement Asahi Kasei’s existing pharmaceutical treatments.
This includes royalties from Prevymis, a near-term market opportunity with pritelivir, currently under Priority Review by the US Food and Drug Administration, with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target date in the fourth quarter of 2026, and AIC468 as a long-term pipeline asset.
Prevymis provides a steady royalty stream and milestone payments, with annual royalty revenue projected at $100m–$200m, depending on sales.
Pritelivir is targeted at 15,000 immunocompromised patients in the US, and, subject to market conditions, could achieve up to 70% penetration in the second-line setting. Its peak revenue is anticipated to surpass $400m in the mid- to late-2030s.
AIC468, which has concluded a Phase I clinical trial, is in development for BK virus infections among kidney and haematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.
The target market for this indication is estimated at more than $1bn. Aicuris’ overall revenue is anticipated to reach $500m by 2030, not including AIC468.
Asahi Kasei will advance Aicuris’s portfolio through its US subsidiary, Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, which specialises in transplant medicine.
Veloxis CEO Stacy Wheeler said: “Aicuris’ infectious disease experience, together with Veloxis’s established transplant-focused research and commercialisation capabilities, provides a solid foundation to support development efforts that address areas of unmet need among immunocompromised patients.”
The acquisition is anticipated to contribute to Asahi Kasei’s operating income after amortisation of goodwill and intangible assets from fiscal 2028 onward.