June.27.2022
Congratulations to our client, global biopharmaceutical company Ipsen (Euronext: IPN; ADR: IPSEY), on its definitive agreement to acquire Epizyme (Nasdaq: EPZM), a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based, commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company developing and delivering transformative therapies against novel epigenetic targets for cancer patients.
The primary focus of the acquisition is on the lead medicine, Tazverik® (tazemetostat), a first-in-class, chemotherapy-free EZH2a inhibitor, which was granted Accelerated Approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2020. As part of the transaction, Ipsen will also acquire Epizyme’s first-in-class, oral SETD2 inhibitor development candidate, EZM0414, which was granted FDA Fast Track status and is currently under evaluation in a recently initiated Phase I/Ib trial in adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, as well as a portfolio of preclinical programs focusing on epigenetic targets.
The transaction is anticipated to close by the end of the third quarter of 2022, subject to the satisfaction of all closing conditions.
The Orrick team advising Ipsen includes Tony Chan, Danny Lopez, Nicole Huang, Maureen Harmon, Fallon Griffin and Sarah Tansey, with invaluable support from Marsha Mogilevich, Lynne Hirata, Jongmin Char, Anjel Bonilla, Michelle Lee, Michael Weisner, Jared Mark, David Schulman, Tiffany Leung, Jose Lamarque, Gargi Talukder, Shannon Yavorsky, Matthew Coleman, Oladoyin Olanrewaju, John Narducci, Joshua Emmett, Craig Falls, Danielle Mangogna, Allen Davis, Jennifer Clarke-Smith, Matthew Rose, Kristin Petersen, Marianna Meriani, Lars Mesenbrink, Harry Clark, Derek Bhavsar, Jeanine McGuinness, Ramon Galvan, Alex Talarides, Virginia Ong, Alexis Smith, Aaron Howe, Jade Kwong, Jim Riley, Carrie Barclay, Deborah Abernathy and Nanette Agustines.