Asahi Kasei has completed its acquisition of Aicuris Anti-infective Cures AG, a Germany-based biopharmaceutical company focused on infectious diseases. The transaction is part of Asahi Kasei’s strategy to build a global specialty pharmaceutical platform with a stronger presence in severe infectious diseases.
Through the acquisition, Asahi Kasei adds three antiviral assets that span marketed and clinical-stage programs. These include a royalty interest in Prevymis®, which is expected to generate annual royalty revenue in the range of $100 million to $200 million over the course of the agreement, depending on sales levels. The portfolio also includes pritelivir, for which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Priority Review to a New Drug Application, with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act target date in the fourth quarter of 2026. Pritelivir is being developed for approximately 15,000 immunocompromised patients in the U.S. and is projected to achieve substantial second-line market penetration, with peak annual revenue forecast to exceed $400 million in the mid- to late 2030s. AIC468, which has completed a Phase I clinical trial, is being developed for BK virus infection in kidney transplant and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients, with a potential market opportunity estimated at more than $1 billion.
Asahi Kasei plans to develop and commercialize Aicuris’s portfolio primarily through its U.S. subsidiary, Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which focuses on transplant medicine and has established R&D and commercial capabilities in transplant immunology. The company expects revenue from Aicuris to reach $500 million by 2030, excluding any contribution from AIC468, and projects that the acquisition will contribute positively to operating income after amortization of goodwill and other intangible assets from fiscal 2028 onward.
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