Sanofi acquires US biotech Blueprint for $9.1 billion

For this major acquisition, announced Monday, Sanofi, which regularly markets in the United States, will pay $129 per share, representing a value of approximately $9.1 billion (more than €7.9 billion).

"Subject to the completion" of several clinical development and regulatory milestones, the total valuation could rise to $9.5 billion (€8.3 billion), according to the French group.

This announcement comes a few days after the pharmaceutical group announced the failure of one of the two phase 3 studies - the last stage before possible commercialization - concerning its experimental treatment, itepekimag, against smoker's bronchitis (COPD).

It "represents a strategic leap forward in our rare disease and immunology portfolios," said Paul Hudson, CEO of Sanofi, quoted in the press release.

In 2019, Sanofi took a turn by refocusing its research and development activities on immunology and rare diseases, a reorientation which resulted in a gradual disengagement from oncology research.

Recent acquisitions

Blueprint, a US-based, publicly traded biotech company, specializes in systemic mastocytosis, an orphan disease characterized by the abnormal activation or proliferation of cells called mast cells in tissues, most commonly the skin and bone marrow, which can, in the systemic form of the disease, damage organs.

The acquisition includes Ayvakit/Ayvakyt (avapritinib), "the only approved drug" for this rare disease, according to the press release.

The transaction "complements recent acquisitions of early-stage drugs that remain our primary focus," Hudson continued.

The acquisition of Blueprint "will not have a significant impact on Sanofi's financial guidance for 2025," the French group said.

Sanofi entered the rare disease market by purchasing the American biotech company Genzyme in 2011 for around $20 billion.

After Genzyme, it acquired other American companies such as Bioverativ in 2018, which opened the doors to the hemophilia treatment market, and Principia Biopharma in autoimmune diseases.

On May 22, Sanofi announced the acquisition of Vigil Neuroscience, Inc., a biotechnology company specializing in the development of innovative drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, for $470 million.