Amgen to Acquire Cholesterol Drugmaker

In a deal that could be valued at more than $1.5 billion, Amgen (Thousand Oaks, CA) has agreed to buy Netherlands-based cholesterol drugmaker Dezima Pharma for $300 million in cash upfront and up to $1.25 billion in milestone payments.

Dezima is currently developing TA-8995, an oral drug, the Wall Street Journal reports, that reportedly reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by up to 48% in a mid-stage trial.

Dezima was founded in 2012 by Prof. John Kastelein of the University of Amsterdam. It is a portfolio company of Dutch venture capital firm Forbion Capital Partners (Naarden, The Netherlands).

Sander Slootweg, Forbion’s Managing Partner and Chairman of Dezima, commented: “Dezima is the poster child of a successful modern start-up company... Today’s acquisition and the value that Amgen has set on the company validates our belief in the team and the science. Dezima will be a great fit for Amgen and complements its other products targeting high cholesterol.”