Merz Enters Asset Purchase Agreement With a US-Based Biotech Company
2.4.2024 09:28:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Merz Therapeutics, a business of Frankfurt-based Merz Group, has entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement to acquire two commercial medicines from NASDAQ-listed Acorda Therapeutics. Closing of the transaction would significantly contribute to the accelerated growth strategy of Merz Therapeutics.
“Our specialty-neurology focused business Merz Therapeutics has developed very well in recent years. This investment would add significantly to Merz Therapeutics growth strategy and expand our portfolio in the field of movement disorders and neurodegeneration. In addition, it will strengthen the market position in North America” says Jörg Bergler, COO of the Merz Group. "We are excited about the development of Merz Therapeutics and are convinced that the purchase of the two drugs - one for the treatment of OFF phases of Parkinson's disease (PD) and one for the treatment of gait disorders in multiple sclerosis - would be of great value to both physicians and patients."
The acquisition will be processed through a court structured 363 sale process under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, where Merz Therapeutics will provide the opening in the auction. The purchase price offered by Merz is USD 185 million. The completion of the sale process is expected in June 2024, with any sale subject to court approval.
For the family-owned Merz Group, headquartered in Frankfurt, this investment would be the third transaction in the US in just over 10 years and the second time with a NASDAQ-listed company. "Merz has grown strongly in recent years - organically, but also through strategic acquisitions, especially in North America. We have solid experience in both the acquisition and integration of US companies or products. As a German-based but global company, we are very interested in innovative acquisitions, on a global scale," concludes Jörg Bergler.
Stefan König, CEO of Merz Therapeutics, adds, “As a patient-focused, innovative company we recognize the responsibility of providing continued patient care and support for Acorda’s well-established and innovative therapies and see this as an optimal potential portfolio expansion that underscores our ambition in key therapeutic areas.”
About Merz Group
Merz Group is a global, diversified company in the healthcare sector based in Frankfurt, Germany. Family-owned for over 116 years, the company is distinguished by its commitment to innovation, long-term perspective, and focus on profitable growth. Merz Group includes the businesses Merz Aesthetics, Merz Therapeutics, Merz Consumer Care, Merz Real Estate, and Merz Financial Investments. The company employs 4,337 people (as of the 22/23 financial year) in 28 countries worldwide. To learn more, please visit www.merz.com.
About Merz Therapeutics
Merz Therapeutics GmbH is dedicated to improving the lives of patients around the world. With its relentless research, development, and culture of innovation, Merz Therapeutics strives to serve unmet patient needs and realize better outcomes. Merz Therapeutics seeks to address the unique needs of people who suffer from movement disorders, neurodegenerative conditions, liver disease, and other health conditions that severely impact patients’ quality of life.
Merz Therapeutics is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany and is represented in more than 90 countries, with a North America affiliate based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Merz Therapeutics GmbH is part of the Merz Group. Please visit www.merztherapeutics.com
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240401849394/en/
Contact information
Media Contact
Merz Asset Management Holding GmbH & Co. KG
Communications
Karolina Dzeko-Balke
Telephone number: +49 (0) 69 1503 2749
E-mail: karolina.dzeko-balke@merz.de
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
First Plus Expands Relationship with SS&C to Support Cross-Border Operations in APAC3.8.2026 04:00:00 EEST | Press release
SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSNC) today announced that First Plus Asset Management (FPAM), a multi-asset investment management firm, has selected SS&C to provide cross-border operations support across Asia. SS&C will service First Plus across the full investment lifecycle, delivering a scalable, integrated solution supporting transfer agency, order management and execution and investment accounting. FPAM will utilize SS&C to service its growing cross-border operating model and support around $200 million in assets under management*. “As First Plus has expanded, managing our operations has become increasingly complex,” said Jeb Li, Co-Founder and CEO at First Plus. “SS&C’s global footprint and integrated offerings enable us to easily optimize our workflows, so we can focus on scaling quickly and securely while continuing to deliver risk-adjusted returns and best-in-class client service.” The engagement highlights the breadth and scalability of SS&C’s global service model.
Europe’s Largest Celebration of Irish Culture Arrives in Belfast2.8.2026 11:01:00 EEST | Press release
Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann arrives in Belfast today (2 August), bringing eight days of traditional music, culture and celebration to the city, with organisers expecting up to 800,000 visitors over the course of the festival. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260729147569/en/ Belfast Fleadh - Maddens Bar accordian, guitar and fiddle player (Chris Heaney) One of Europe’s largest cultural events, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is taking place in Belfast for the first time, transforming the city into a vibrant stage for Irish music, dance, language and culture. More than 200 events and 180 traditional music competitions are taking place across venues, streets and neighbourhoods throughout the week-long celebration. The landmark festival showcases the very best of Irish culture, with a packed programme of All-Ireland competitions, concerts, community events and performances from both established and emerging artists. As Ir
2PointZero Group Signals Global Scale With Revenue Surge to AED 21.9 Billion and Net Profit of AED 7.7 Billion in H1 202631.7.2026 14:42:00 EEST | Press release
2PointZero Group (ADX: 2POINTZERO), a leading Abu Dhabi-based investment holding firm, announced its financial results for the first half of 2026, reporting revenue of AED 21.9 billion and delivering a Group Net Profit of AED 7.7 billion. This robust performance is reflected in the Group’s adjusted EBITDA, which reached AED 5.0 billion after excluding fair value changes and one-offs. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260731538982/en/ Samia Bouazza, CEO of 2PointZero (Photo: AETOSWire) Net profit from the Group’s businesses increased by 2,301% year-on-year (YoY), driven by the consolidation of Tendam and the mega-merger to form 2PointZero Group, and growth was also supported by new investments in African financial services, entry into the European packaging markets, and steady operational progress across all verticals, bringing the total reported net profit to AED 7.7 billion. Through continued operational integr
Datroway ® Approved in the EU as Only TROP2 Directed Medicine with Overall Survival Benefit for the First-Line Treatment of Patients with Metastatic TNBC Who Are Not Candidates for Immunotherapy31.7.2026 09:30:00 EEST | Press release
Datroway® (datopotamab deruxtecan) has been approved in the European Union (EU) as monotherapy for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) who are not candidates for PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapy. Datroway is a specifically engineered TROP2 directed DXd antibody drug conjugate (ADC) discovered by Daiichi Sankyo (TSE: 4568) and being jointly developed and commercialized by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/NYSE: AZN). The approval by the European Commission follows the positive opinionof the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency and is based on results from the TROPION-Breast02phase 3 trial, which were presented at the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology Congress and subsequently published in Annals of Oncology. In TROPION-Breast02, which included patients with metastatic TNBC who experienced early relapse following prior treatment, Datroway demonstrated a statis
Polpharma Biologics Announces FDA and EMA Acceptance for Review of PB016 Vedolizumab Biosimilar Candidate31.7.2026 09:30:00 EEST | Press release
Polpharma Biologics International AG today announces that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have accepted for review the Biologics License Application (BLA) and Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA), respectively, for PB016, a proposed vedolizumab biosimilar candidate to Takeda’s reference product Entyvio®* (vedolizumab) lyophilized vial for intravenous (IV) administration for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. The BLA and MAA acceptances represent significant milestones in Polpharma Biologics' development program and underscore the company's commitment to advancing high-quality biosimilars and expanding global access to affordable biologic medicines. "FDA and EMA acceptances for review of our IV vedolizumab biosimilar candidate mark a major achievement for Polpharma Biologics and validate our deep scientific expertise in biosimilar development and manufacturing," said
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom