Horizon Therapeutics to acquire Viela Bio, Inc to significantly expand development pipeline and grow rare disease medicine portfolio
Horizon Therapeutics plc and Viela Bio, Inc announced the companies have entered into a definitive agreement under which Horizon will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Viela Bio, Inc common stock for $53.00 per share in cash, which represents a fully diluted equity value of approximately $3.05 billion, or approximately $2.67 billion net of Viela’s cash and cash equivalents. As previously announced, Horizon had $2.08 billion in cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2020. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2021.
“This acquisition represents a significant step forward in advancing our strategy – to expand our pipeline in order to accelerate our growth over the long term,” said Tim Walbert, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Horizon. “Adding Viela’s research and clinical development capabilities along with its deep, mid-stage biologics pipeline to our seasoned R&D and commercial teams, advances our transformation to an innovation-driven biotech company where we will build on the success of TEPEZZA and KRYSTEXXA to bolster our long-term growth trajectory. We intend to maximize the full potential of Viela’s pipeline, including the pursuit of additional future indications.”
Read the full press release here.
