- Proposed acquisition adds robust pipeline of assets focused on best-in-class potential for psychiatric and neurological disorders where significant unmet needs remain
- Cerevel’s clinical-stage pipeline complements AbbVie’s current on-market portfolio and emerging neuroscience pipeline
- Emraclidine has the potential to transform the standard of care in schizophrenia and other psychiatric conditions
- Transaction valued at $45.00 per share in cash, for a total equity value of approximately $8.7 billion
- AbbVie to hold an investor conference call tomorrow, December 7, at 8:00 a.m. CT
NORTH CHICAGO, IL and CAMBRIDGE, MA, USA I December 6, 2023 I AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV) and Cerevel Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CERE) today announced a definitive agreement under which AbbVie will acquire Cerevel Therapeutics and its robust neuroscience pipeline of multiple clinical-stage and preclinical candidates with potential across several diseases including schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease (PD), and mood disorders. The acquisition complements AbbVie’s neuroscience portfolio, adding a wide range of potentially best-in-class assets that may transform standards of care across psychiatric and neurological disorders where significant unmet needs remain for patients.
Under the terms of the transaction, AbbVie will acquire all outstanding shares of Cerevel for $45.00 per share in cash. The transaction values Cerevel at a total equity value of approximately $8.7 billion. The boards of directors of both companies have approved the transaction. This transaction is expected to close in the middle of 2024, subject to Cerevel shareholder approval, regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions.
“Our existing neuroscience portfolio and our combined pipeline with Cerevel represents a significant growth opportunity well into the next decade,” said Richard A. Gonzalez, chairman and chief executive officer, AbbVie. “AbbVie will leverage its deep commercial capabilities, international infrastructure, and regulatory and clinical expertise to deliver substantial shareholder value with multibillion-dollar sales potential across Cerevel’s portfolio of assets.”
“Cerevel has always been committed to transforming what is possible in neuroscience. With AbbVie’s long-standing expertise in developing and commercializing medicines on a global scale, Cerevel’s novel therapies will be well positioned to reach more people living with neuroscience diseases,” said Ron Renaud, president and chief executive officer, Cerevel Therapeutics. “The talented, passionate, and dedicated Cerevel team has made great progress over the past five years in developing our innovative suite of potential medicines, and we are pleased that AbbVie has recognized the tremendous potential of our pipeline. This acquisition reinforces the renaissance we are seeing in neuroscience, and we are proud to be at the forefront.”
Cerevel’s late-stage asset emraclidine, a positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of the muscarinic M4 receptor, is a potential best-in-class, next-generation antipsychotic that may be effective in treating schizophrenia patients. Schizophrenia impacts more than five million people in the G7 (U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and Japan) and a significant opportunity for treatment innovation remains for new and better tolerated therapies. In a Phase 1b study, emraclidine has shown promising efficacy and safety in schizophrenia and is currently completing two Phase 2 trials that were designed to be registration enabling. In addition, emraclidine has potential in dementia-related psychosis in Alzheimer’s disease and PD. Emraclidine is currently in a Phase 1 study in elderly healthy volunteers in support of a potential Alzheimer’s disease psychosis program.
In addition to emraclidine, Cerevel has multiple assets advancing in clinical development with best-in-class potential that are complementary to AbbVie’s priority areas within neuroscience. Tavapadon, a first-in-class dopamine D1/D5 selective partial agonist for the management of PD, is currently in Phase 3 studies and has potential for both monotherapy and adjunctive treatment. Tavapadon’s efficacy and safety-tolerability profile could enable its utility in early PD, becoming a near-term complementary asset to AbbVie’s existing symptomatic therapies for advanced PD. CVL-354, currently in Phase 1, is a potential best-in-class kappa opioid receptor (KOR) antagonist that has the potential to provide significantly improved efficacy and tolerability compared to existing treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD). Darigabat, currently in Phase 2, is an alpha 2/3/5 selective GABAA receptor PAM for treatment-resistant epilepsy and panic disorder.
Transaction Terms
AbbVie will acquire all outstanding Cerevel common stock for $45.00 per share in cash. The proposed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals and approval by Cerevel shareholders. The proposed transaction is expected to be accretive to adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) beginning in 2030.
AbbVie Conference Call Details
AbbVie will host an investor conference call tomorrow, December 7, at 8:00 a.m. CT to discuss this transaction. The call will be webcast through AbbVie’s Investor Relations website at investors.abbvie.com. An archived edition of the call will be available after 9:00 a.m. CT. Presentation materials for the investor conference call are available here.
Cerevel Tavapadon Investor Webcast
Due to the pending transaction with AbbVie, Cerevel will no longer be hosting its previously scheduled investor webcast to discuss tavapadon on Monday, December 11, 2023.
Advisors
AbbVie’s financial advisor is Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal advisor. Cerevel Therapeutics’ financial advisor is Centerview Partners LLC and Latham & Watkins LLP is serving as legal advisor.
About AbbVie in Neuroscience
At AbbVie, our commitment to preserving personhood of people around the world living with neurological and psychiatric disorders is unwavering. With more than three decades of experience in neuroscience, we are providing meaningful treatment options today and advancing innovation for the future. AbbVie’s Neuroscience portfolio consists of approved treatments in neurological conditions, including migraine, movement disorders, and psychiatric disorders, along with a robust pipeline of transformative therapies. We have made a strong investment in research and are committed to building a deeper understanding of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Every challenge makes us more determined and drives us to discover and deliver advancements for those impacted by these conditions, their care partners, and clinicians. For more information, visit www.abbvie.com.
About AbbVie
AbbVie’s mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people’s lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn,Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.
About Cerevel Therapeutics
Cerevel Therapeutics is dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of the brain to treat neuroscience diseases. The company is tackling diseases by combining its deep expertise in neurocircuitry with a focus on targeted receptor subtype selectivity and a differentiated approach to pharmacology. Cerevel Therapeutics has a diversified pipeline comprised of five clinical-stage investigational therapies and several preclinical compounds with the potential to treat a range of neuroscience diseases, including schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease psychosis, epilepsy, panic disorder, and Parkinson’s disease. Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Cerevel Therapeutics is advancing its current research and development programs while exploring new modalities through internal research efforts, external collaborations, or potential acquisitions. For more information, visit www.cerevel.com.
SOURCE: AbbVie
Post Views: 773
- Proposed acquisition adds robust pipeline of assets focused on best-in-class potential for psychiatric and neurological disorders where significant unmet needs remain
- Cerevel’s clinical-stage pipeline complements AbbVie’s current on-market portfolio and emerging neuroscience pipeline
- Emraclidine has the potential to transform the standard of care in schizophrenia and other psychiatric conditions
- Transaction valued at $45.00 per share in cash, for a total equity value of approximately $8.7 billion
- AbbVie to hold an investor conference call tomorrow, December 7, at 8:00 a.m. CT
NORTH CHICAGO, IL and CAMBRIDGE, MA, USA I December 6, 2023 I AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV) and Cerevel Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CERE) today announced a definitive agreement under which AbbVie will acquire Cerevel Therapeutics and its robust neuroscience pipeline of multiple clinical-stage and preclinical candidates with potential across several diseases including schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease (PD), and mood disorders. The acquisition complements AbbVie’s neuroscience portfolio, adding a wide range of potentially best-in-class assets that may transform standards of care across psychiatric and neurological disorders where significant unmet needs remain for patients.
Under the terms of the transaction, AbbVie will acquire all outstanding shares of Cerevel for $45.00 per share in cash. The transaction values Cerevel at a total equity value of approximately $8.7 billion. The boards of directors of both companies have approved the transaction. This transaction is expected to close in the middle of 2024, subject to Cerevel shareholder approval, regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions.
“Our existing neuroscience portfolio and our combined pipeline with Cerevel represents a significant growth opportunity well into the next decade,” said Richard A. Gonzalez, chairman and chief executive officer, AbbVie. “AbbVie will leverage its deep commercial capabilities, international infrastructure, and regulatory and clinical expertise to deliver substantial shareholder value with multibillion-dollar sales potential across Cerevel’s portfolio of assets.”
“Cerevel has always been committed to transforming what is possible in neuroscience. With AbbVie’s long-standing expertise in developing and commercializing medicines on a global scale, Cerevel’s novel therapies will be well positioned to reach more people living with neuroscience diseases,” said Ron Renaud, president and chief executive officer, Cerevel Therapeutics. “The talented, passionate, and dedicated Cerevel team has made great progress over the past five years in developing our innovative suite of potential medicines, and we are pleased that AbbVie has recognized the tremendous potential of our pipeline. This acquisition reinforces the renaissance we are seeing in neuroscience, and we are proud to be at the forefront.”
Cerevel’s late-stage asset emraclidine, a positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of the muscarinic M4 receptor, is a potential best-in-class, next-generation antipsychotic that may be effective in treating schizophrenia patients. Schizophrenia impacts more than five million people in the G7 (U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and Japan) and a significant opportunity for treatment innovation remains for new and better tolerated therapies. In a Phase 1b study, emraclidine has shown promising efficacy and safety in schizophrenia and is currently completing two Phase 2 trials that were designed to be registration enabling. In addition, emraclidine has potential in dementia-related psychosis in Alzheimer’s disease and PD. Emraclidine is currently in a Phase 1 study in elderly healthy volunteers in support of a potential Alzheimer’s disease psychosis program.
In addition to emraclidine, Cerevel has multiple assets advancing in clinical development with best-in-class potential that are complementary to AbbVie’s priority areas within neuroscience. Tavapadon, a first-in-class dopamine D1/D5 selective partial agonist for the management of PD, is currently in Phase 3 studies and has potential for both monotherapy and adjunctive treatment. Tavapadon’s efficacy and safety-tolerability profile could enable its utility in early PD, becoming a near-term complementary asset to AbbVie’s existing symptomatic therapies for advanced PD. CVL-354, currently in Phase 1, is a potential best-in-class kappa opioid receptor (KOR) antagonist that has the potential to provide significantly improved efficacy and tolerability compared to existing treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD). Darigabat, currently in Phase 2, is an alpha 2/3/5 selective GABAA receptor PAM for treatment-resistant epilepsy and panic disorder.
Transaction Terms
AbbVie will acquire all outstanding Cerevel common stock for $45.00 per share in cash. The proposed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals and approval by Cerevel shareholders. The proposed transaction is expected to be accretive to adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) beginning in 2030.
AbbVie Conference Call Details
AbbVie will host an investor conference call tomorrow, December 7, at 8:00 a.m. CT to discuss this transaction. The call will be webcast through AbbVie’s Investor Relations website at investors.abbvie.com. An archived edition of the call will be available after 9:00 a.m. CT. Presentation materials for the investor conference call are available here.
Cerevel Tavapadon Investor Webcast
Due to the pending transaction with AbbVie, Cerevel will no longer be hosting its previously scheduled investor webcast to discuss tavapadon on Monday, December 11, 2023.
Advisors
AbbVie’s financial advisor is Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal advisor. Cerevel Therapeutics’ financial advisor is Centerview Partners LLC and Latham & Watkins LLP is serving as legal advisor.
About AbbVie in Neuroscience
At AbbVie, our commitment to preserving personhood of people around the world living with neurological and psychiatric disorders is unwavering. With more than three decades of experience in neuroscience, we are providing meaningful treatment options today and advancing innovation for the future. AbbVie’s Neuroscience portfolio consists of approved treatments in neurological conditions, including migraine, movement disorders, and psychiatric disorders, along with a robust pipeline of transformative therapies. We have made a strong investment in research and are committed to building a deeper understanding of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Every challenge makes us more determined and drives us to discover and deliver advancements for those impacted by these conditions, their care partners, and clinicians. For more information, visit www.abbvie.com.
About AbbVie
AbbVie’s mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people’s lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn,Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.
About Cerevel Therapeutics
Cerevel Therapeutics is dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of the brain to treat neuroscience diseases. The company is tackling diseases by combining its deep expertise in neurocircuitry with a focus on targeted receptor subtype selectivity and a differentiated approach to pharmacology. Cerevel Therapeutics has a diversified pipeline comprised of five clinical-stage investigational therapies and several preclinical compounds with the potential to treat a range of neuroscience diseases, including schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease psychosis, epilepsy, panic disorder, and Parkinson’s disease. Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Cerevel Therapeutics is advancing its current research and development programs while exploring new modalities through internal research efforts, external collaborations, or potential acquisitions. For more information, visit www.cerevel.com.
SOURCE: AbbVie
Post Views: 773
