Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc and Actio Biosciences, Inc. announced the companies have entered into a definitive agreement for Jazz to acquire privately-held Actio Biosciences for $820 million upfront and up to $500 million in contingent consideration.
Actio Biosciences' lead clinical asset is ABS-1230, a novel, first-in-class small molecule precision therapy KCNT1 ion channel inhibitor. KCNT1+ epilepsy is a rare genetic developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE) affecting approximately 2,500 patients in the United States. Patients suffering from KCNT1+ epilepsy typically endure a profound seizure burden, with most experiencing dozens to hundreds of episodes daily that remain highly resistant to antiseizure medications. Approximately 80% of individuals with KCNT1+ epilepsy experience disease onset during infancy; many of these children never achieve fundamental developmental milestones, such as walking or speaking, and tragically, some do not survive into adulthood. For those with later-onset disease, the condition typically manifests as disruptive nocturnal seizures, often accompanied by significant cognitive and psychiatric comorbidities.
"The acquisition of ABS-1230 represents a highly strategic expansion of our rare epilepsy portfolio, building upon the global success of Epidiolex and deepening our leadership in rare and severe epilepsies," said Renee Gala, president and chief executive officer, Jazz Pharmaceuticals. "The emerging clinical profile of ABS-1230 is highly encouraging, and we look forward to closing the proposed transaction and collaborating with our new Actio Biosciences colleagues to address an urgent patient need. Together, we are committed to working alongside the epilepsy patient community and regulators to bring this important medicine to children and families, who currently have no treatment options for a devastating disease."
"We chose to partner with Jazz because they combine a purpose-led culture with a world-class development engine and the commercial scale to ensure ABS-1230 is brought to patients as quickly and efficiently as possible," said David Goldstein, Ph.D., chief executive officer, Actio Biosciences. "We started Actio with one goal in mind: to bring meaningful therapies to those who need them most. Guided by our expertise in genetics, we set out to leverage a deep understanding of disease biology to develop highly effective targeted therapies for rare diseases with high unmet need. ABS-1230 is that vision personified, and we are thrilled to partner with Jazz on the next leg of the journey to bring this important medicine to patients."