Pharmaceutical Business review

Santen closes asset purchase agreement with Merck for ophthalmology assets

The completed acquisition concerns products primarily intended for Asia including Japan, South Korea and Europe excluding some countries.

Santen’s payment for the closed transaction totalled about $550m and total amount of consideration for the transfer, when completed as provided for under the agreement, will reach about $600m, with additional contingency payments based on certain sales milestones and an agreement to purchase product supply from Merck.

According to the company, the remaining assets will be transferred as soon as the closing conditions are fulfilled.

Santen intends to disclose separately information relating to the impact that this transaction may have on the company’s forecasted fiscal performance for the fiscal year ending on 31 March 2015.