Novartis is paying $9.7b to acquire The Medicines Company for a Potentially Blockbuster Cholesterol-Lowering Therapy

The Medicines Company is developing "inclisiran",  a potentially transformational medicine that reimagines the treatment of atherosclerotic heart disease and familial hypercholesterolemia. With tens of millions of patients at higher risk of cardiovascular events from high LDL-C, inclisiran could contribute significantly to improved patient outcomes and help healthcare systems address the leading global cause of death. The Medicines Company plans shortly to apply for FDA approval of inclisiran. If the drug is approved, it will threaten Amgen's Repatha and Sanofi's Praluent. Repatha and Praluent are known as PCSK9 inhibitors. They work by blocking the action of PCSK9, a protease enzyme, and as a result help remove bad cholesterol from the blood. Inclisiran works a bit differently, blocking the production of PCSK9. inclisiran’s potentially first-in-class, twice-yearly dosing schedule allows administration during patients’ routine visits to their healthcare professionals and will likely contribute to improved patient adherence and sustained, lower LDL-C levels.

Over 50 million secondary prevention patients worldwide with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) or familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) on the current standard of care do not achieve LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) goal and remain at increased risk of cardiovascular events.

Keywords: Healthcare Investment Banking, Healthcare M&A, Healthcare mergers