Sanofi has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Bioverativ, Inc., a biopharma company focused on therapies for hemophilia and other rare blood disorders, for approximately $11.6 billion. Bioverativ was created from Biogen’s hemophilia-focused spinoff launched in early 2017.  
 
Hemophilia represents the largest market for rare diseases, with approximately 181,000 people affected worldwide, which is expected to grow above 7% per year through 2022. Bioverativ has approximately $10 billion in annual sales.

Bioverativ’s extended half-life therapies, Eloctate [Antihemophilic Factor VIII (Recombinant), Fc Fusion Protein] and Alprolix [Coagulation Factor IX (Recombinant), Fc Fusion Protein] for the treatment of hemophilia A and B, respectively, represented the first major advancements in the hemophilia market in nearly two decades when launched. In 2016, Bioverativ generated $847 million in sales and $41 million in royalties.

Sanofi believes factor replacement therapy will remain the standard of care in hemophilia for many years due to its safety and increasingly superior long-acting profile. Sanofi will be able to leverage Bioverativ’s clinical expertise and commercial platform to advance fitusiran, an investigational RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic for hemophilia A and B, with or without inhibitors. 

Bioverativ’s pipeline includes a Phase III program for cold agglutinin disease, and early stage research programs and collaborations in hemophilia, and other rare blood disorders, including sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia.
 
“With Bioverativ, a leader in the growing hemophilia market, Sanofi enhances its presence in specialty care and leadership in rare diseases, in line with its 2020 Roadmap, and creates a platform for growth in other rare blood disorders.  Together, we have a great opportunity to bring innovative medicines to patients worldwide, building on Bioverativ’s success in driving new standards of care with its extended half-life factor replacement therapies,” said Olivier Brandicourt, Sanofi’s chief executive officer.  

Bioverativ chief executive officer, John Cox, said, “Bioverativ was created to bring meaningful progress to people living with hemophilia and other rare blood disorders, and I am extremely proud of the accomplishments we’ve made toward that mission over the past year. Sanofi brings proven capabilities and a global infrastructure, which we believe will help to more rapidly expand access to our medicines globally and further our mission of transforming the lives of people with rare blood disorders.”