BioMarin snaps up Amicus Therapeutics for $4.8bn amid rare disease push

BioMarin Pharmaceutical has agreed to bargain uncommon illness biotech Amicus Therapeutics, adding 3 approved oregon late-stage lysosomal retention upset therapies to its portfolio.

Under the presumption of the agreement, BioMarin volition wage currency for each of Amicus’ shares for a full information of $4.8bn. This woody volition acceptable BioMarin backmost $14.50 per share, constituting a 33% premium connected Amicus’ $10.89 18 December banal worth astatine marketplace close.

BioMarin’s banal has accrued 17.71% connected the acquisition, from an 18 December adjacent of $51.95 to a 19 December adjacent of $61.15.

This multi-billion-dollar deal, which is the biggest successful BioMarin’s history, volition springiness the pharma rights to Amicus’ Fabry illness therapy, Galafold (migalastat), which has been connected the US marketplace since 2018. In 2024, the cause brought successful $458.1m for Amicus, an 18% summation connected 2023.

Galafold is presently the lone US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved chaperone therapy for Fabry illness – a uncommon familial upset characterised by the buildup of fatty substrates successful the cells of an affected patient.

Following a US patent litigation with generics elephantine Teva Pharmaceuticals, Galafold present holds marketplace exclusivity until January 30, 2027.

BioMarin volition besides get the rights to Amicus’ FDA-approved Pompe illness combination, Pombiliti (cipaglucosidase alfa-atga) positive Opfolda (miglustat), which got the FDA go-ahead for usage successful patients who are not responding to modular enzyme replacement therapy backmost successful 2023. The cause generated $22m successful 2024.

Like Fabre disease, Pompe illness is simply a lysosomal retention upset that prevents the metabolism of glycogen, starring to its harmful buildup wrong the cells. This tin pb to progressive muscular weakness and bosom problems.

Alongside these approved therapies, BioMarin volition instrumentality ownership of the US rights to the late-stage, investigational oral tiny molecule, DMX-200, which is presently successful Phase III trials for uncommon kidney disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSCS). Amicus primitively purchased the US rights to DMX-200 from the drug’s creator, Dimerix, for up to $105m successful May 2025.

Over the past mates of years, BioMarin has been looking to further its maturation successful the pharmaceutical sector.

In a bid to execute this, the institution underwent a important restructuring successful 2024, which saw it fto spell of 225 employees.

Moving into 2025, BioMarin has employed a beardown dealmaking strategy, which saw the institution motion 10 deals successful 2025. According to GlobalData’s Pharmaceutical Intelligence Center, this is the highest fig of deals to beryllium signed successful 1 twelvemonth since 2010.