Almirall strengthens its place in U.S. market

PharmaTimes reported in August that the Spanish company Almirall acquired Allergan’s U.S. dermatology portfolio for $650 million.

The deal includes acne medications Aczone (dapsone), Tazorac (tazarotene) and Azelex (azelaic acid), plus the dermatosis drug Cordran Tape (fludroxycortide) and the new anti-inflammatory SeysaraTM (sarecycline) for acne vulgaris.

“This is a transformational deal for Almirall,” said the company’s CEO Peter Guenter. “It will reinforce and consolidate our position in the world’s largest dermatology market and is a well-balanced portfolio of mature and growth brands with a major launch opportunity of an innovative New Chemical Entity (NCE). It offers us medium to long term top and bottom line growth opportunities. Moreover, it will allow for an expanded platform to launch KX2-391, which has the potential to become a new standard of care in actinic keratosis.”

Sales for the newly developed SeysaraTM is expected to reach $200 million, the company stated. By comparison, the four other drugs generated $70 million in sales in the U.S. from January-July 2018.

“With this acquisition, Almirall consolidates and reinforces its presence in the US, the largest market in the world, and expands its range of dermatological products, representing a transformational step for Almirall US as well as Almirall as a whole,” the company added. “Our global and US leadership team is comprised of several former Allergan senior executives with a deep knowledge of the acquired product portfolio.”