Nicox Acquires Ophthalmic Company, Aciex Therapeutics
By Cyndi Root
Nicox, a French drug developer, announced in a press release that it has agreed to acquire Aciex Therapeutics, a U.S. ophthalmic pharmaceutical company. The move propels Nicox’s aims to build an international therapeutics and diagnostics ophthalmic business. Aciex has a pipeline of ophthalmic therapeutic product candidates including the inflammation and allergy segments, such as AC‑170 currently in phase III trials for allergic conjunctivitis.
Michele Garufi, Chairman and CEO of Nicox, said, “The combination with Aciex would enable Nicox to expand its therapeutic pipeline to target major segments of the ophthalmic sector, including the $816 million US allergic conjunctivitis market.”
Nicox and Aciex Agreement
The agreement between Nicox and Aciex calls for a $65 million upfront payment in shares and up to $55 million in additional shares based on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of AC-170 and other products. Aciex hands over its therapeutic development pipeline, including AC-170 and other candidates entering clinical studies within 12 to 18 months.
Nicox plans to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) for AC-170 in allergic conjunctivitis based on the results of two phase III trials. Prior to submitting the NDA, Nicox stated that it intends to seek a pre-NDA meeting with the FDA. In development for post-operative inflammation and pain, AC-155 will enter phase II studies in 2015. Nicox will take over a partnership with Portola Pharmaceuticals
studying small molecule dual Syk/JAK inhibitors. Aciex also relinquishes its proprietary manufacturing process that produces novel drugs by repurposing existing drugs.
About Nicox
Employing over 100 people worldwide, Nicox’s headquarters are in Nice, France. In the U.S., it operates from Fort Worth, Texas, and it has an R&D facility in Bresso, Italy. The company has an operations and sales team in the U.S., which it will expand and deploy during its continued growth efforts. The acquisition of Aciex broadens Nicox’s pipeline, which will now include (among other potential candidates) latanoprostene bunod, co-developed with Bausch & Lomb.
About Aciex
Aciex was founded in 2007 and is located in Boston, MA. Investors include HealthCare Ventures, New Enterprise Associates, and Ora Investment Group. Ora is a contract research organization (CRO), which created the technology that Aciex is built upon, the Boston Business Journal reported.
Thomas Cavanagh, President of Aciex, said, “We are excited about the opportunity to combine our robust pipeline derived from our collaboration with Ora, with the financial and commercial strengths of Nicox.