Amgen and ChemoCentryx, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on orally administered therapeutics to treat autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders and cancer, have entered into a definitive agreement under which Amgen will acquire ChemoCentryx for approximately $3.7 billion.
 
“The acquisition of ChemoCentryx represents a compelling opportunity for Amgen to add to our decades-long leadership in inflammation and nephrology with TAVNEOS, a transformative, first-in-class treatment for ANCA-associated vasculitis,” said Robert A. Bradway, chairman and chief executive officer at Amgen. “We are excited to join in the TAVNEOS launch and help many more patients with this serious and sometimes life-threatening disease for which there remains significant unmet medical need. We also look forward to welcoming the highly skilled team from ChemoCentryx that shares our passion for serving patients suffering from serious diseases.”
 
“A fierce commitment to improving human lives is the bond that unites Amgen and ChemoCentryx today,” said Thomas J. Schall, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of ChemoCentryx. “Last year, after 25 years of proud history, we at CCXI delivered on our founding promise with the approval of TAVNEOS for patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis (ANCA-associated vasculitis). It is an honor to now join Amgen’s great mission, and together begin a bright new era bringing landscape-shaping medicines like TAVNEOS to those who will benefit most.”
 
TAVNEOS is an orally administered selective complement component 5a receptor inhibitor approved by the U.S. FDA in October 2021 as an adjunctive treatment for adults with two main forms of ANCA-associated vasculitis, in combination with standard therapy.
 
ANCA-associated vasculitis is an umbrella term for a group of multi-system autoimmune diseases with small vessel inflammation. Inflamed vessels may rupture or become occluded causing an array of clinical symptoms related to a systemic inflammatory response which may result in injury and dysfunction in the kidneys, lungs and other organs.
 
U.S. sales of TAVNEOS in the first quarter of 2022, the first full quarter of sales, were $5.4 million. TAVNEOS is also approved in major markets outside the U.S., including the European Union and Japan. 
 
ChemoCentryx also has three early-stage drug candidates that target chemoattractant receptors in other inflammatory diseases and an oral checkpoint inhibitor for cancer.
 
The transaction is subject to ChemoCentryx stockholder approval, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, and is expected to close 4Q22.