United Therapeutics To Acquire SteadyMed Ltd.

On April 30, 2018 United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ: UTHR) and SteadyMed Ltd. (NASDAQ: STDY) reported the signing of a definitive merger agreement under which United Therapeutics will acquire SteadyMed for $4.46 per share in cash at closing and an additional $2.63 per share in cash upon the achievement of a milestone related to the commercialization of Trevyent (Press release, United Therapeutics, APR 30, 2018, View Source [SID1234526054]). The transaction, including the $75 million in contingent consideration, is valued at $216 million.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

SteadyMed is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of drug product candidates to treat orphan and high-value diseases with unmet parenteral delivery needs. SteadyMed’s product portfolio includes Trevyent, a development-stage drug-device combination product that combines SteadyMed’s two day, single use, disposable PatchPump technology with treprostinil, a vasodilatory prostacyclin analogue, for the subcutaneous treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). United Therapeutics is a leading biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for the treatment of PAH and other orphan diseases.

"We are optimistic about acquiring SteadyMed and adding Trevyent to our pipeline of products to treat PAH," said Martine Rothblatt, Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of United Therapeutics. "We are especially impressed with SteadyMed’s management team and global supply chain. Trevyent fits in well with our mission, and we look forward to bringing the product to the maximum number of patients as soon as possible."

"United Therapeutics has always been at the forefront of developing therapies to treat PAH, and we are delighted at the prospect of our companies coming together, as one, to continue that mission," said Jonathan M.N. Rigby, President and Chief Executive Officer of SteadyMed. "We believe that this proposed acquisition will help us realize our commitment to bring Trevyent to market to improve the lives of patients with PAH."

The Board of Directors of SteadyMed has unanimously approved the merger agreement and unanimously recommends that SteadyMed shareholders adopt the merger agreement. SteadyMed shareholders owning approximately 43.3 percent of the ordinary shares of SteadyMed have entered into an agreement to vote their shares in favor of the transaction.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by SteadyMed’s shareholders and the expiration or termination of the required waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, and is expected to be completed in the third quarter of this year.

United Therapeutics received legal advice from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and Herzog, Fox & Neeman; SteadyMed received legal advice from Cooley LLP and Yigal Arnon & Co.; and Wedbush PacGrow acted as an advisor to the SteadyMed Board of Director