Baxter Strengthens Haemophilia Franchise with Chatham Therapeutics Purchase as Biogen Enters Market

Abstract

Baxter has agreed to acquire its partner Chatham Therapeutics in order to bolster its market-leading haemophilia franchise. News of the deal came less than a week after Baxter announced plans to spin off its biopharmaceuticals business into an independent company. With the acquisition, Baxter will gain broad access to Chatham’s gene therapy platform as well as full rights to BAX 355, a factor IX gene therapy for haemophilia B that is in Phase I/II development. Baxter faces competition in the haemophilia market from Biogen Idec, which received US FDA approval in March 2014 for Alprolix™, a long-acting recombinant factor IX for haemophilia B.