Supernus adds epilepsy candidate with $185M Biscayne buy

CNS drug specialist Supernus Pharma has added an early-stage epilepsy candidate to its pipeline after paying $15 million upfront to acquire Biscayne Neurotherapeutics.

Supernus is already a player in epilepsy with two marketed products based on new formulations of established drugs, but the merger with Biscayne Neurotherapeutics will give the company its only R&D project for this indication, slotting in alongside drugs for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, aggression, bipolar disorder and depression.

The takeover deal—which also includes development milestones of $73 million and another $95 million in the offing for hitting commercial targets—adds a drug for refractory forms of focal epilepsy based on a synthetic form of a compound called huperzine A which is found in traditional Chinese medicines used to treat seizures. The deal excludes rights to the drug in Asia, where it has been licensed out.

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