Sandoz has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Oriel Therapeutics, a privately held U.S. pharmaceutical company that develops respiratory products as generic alternatives to drugs for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The acquisition provides Sandoz with three promising development projects targeting leading medicines in this field, as well as access to Oriel’s FreePath drug delivery technology. Oriel will be integrated as a separate development unit within Sandoz. Terms of the agreement and details of Oriel’s development programs were not disclosed.

“Oriel is a strong strategic fit with Sandoz and the acquisition is expected to support our strategy of increasing the number of differentiated, higher-value products in our development pipeline,” said Jeff George, division head Sandoz. “One of our strategic objectives is to offer fully substitutable generic versions of key branded medicines, including respiratory medicines. This is a key area of focus that complements our global leadership position in biosimilars and complex injectables.”

Click here to learn more about Sandoz