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yesterday

Jazz Pharmaceuticals to Buy Actio Biosciences for Up to $1.32 Billion

Jazz will add ABS-1230 to its rare-epilepsy lineup while other Actio programs move into a spinout that leaves Jazz with a minority stake.

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Jazz Pharmaceuticals will hold a minority equity interest in the new entity. Credit: Piotr Swat / Shutterstock.com.
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Overview

  • Jazz announced a definitive agreement to acquire Actio for up to $1.32 billion, with Actio shareholders set to receive $820 million upfront and up to $500 million in milestone payments.
  • ABS-1230 is a small-molecule inhibitor targeting KCNT1-related epilepsy that the companies say cut seizures in an early pediatric study and is being tested in a Phase Ib/IIa trial intended to support a U.S. approval filing.
  • Actio will spin out a new private company that keeps other rare‑neurology programs, including a Charcot‑Marie‑Tooth candidate, and Jazz will take a minority equity stake in that new entity.
  • KCNT1-related epilepsy is a severe, early‑onset disorder with no approved treatments and an estimated U.S. patient population of about 2,500, so any approval would address a small but urgent unmet need for affected children and families.
  • The companies expect the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2026 subject to customary conditions, and near-term prospects hinge on the ongoing KYRON study results and subsequent regulatory review.