A PYMNTS Company

US: Roche to complete $4.3B Spark deal

By  |  December 17, 2019

Swiss drugmaker Roche  plans to complete its US$4.3 billion takeover of gene therapy specialist Spark Therapeutics on Tuesday, December 17, after US authorities ruled the deal would not hurt competition in hemophilia A treatment.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) approved the deal on Monday without demanding asset sales. 

Roche is buying US-based Spark to expand in gene therapy and boost its hemophilia A portfolio, where the Basel-based company’s existing drug Hemlibra will surpass US$1 billion sales in 2019. 

Regulators had feared Roche might sabotage Spark’s hemophilia program to benefit Hemlibra, but came to another conclusion. 

“The evidence developed during staff’s investigation did not indicate that Roche would have the incentive to delay or terminate Spark’s developmental effort for its hemophilia A gene therapy,” the FTC stated after its 5-0 approval vote.

Full Content: Reuters

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.