GSK reaches agreement to acquire late-stage biopharmaceutical company BELLUS Health

GSK plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) and BELLUS Health Inc. (TSX/NASDAQ: BLU) today announced that they have entered into an agreement under which GSK will acquire BELLUS, a Canada-based, late-stage biopharmaceutical company working to better the lives of patients suffering from refractory chronic cough (RCC) for US$14.75 per share of common stock in cash representing an approximate total equity value of US$2.0 billion (£1.6 billion). The acquisition provides GSK access to camlipixant, a potential best-in-class and highly selective P2X3 antagonist currently in phase III development for the first-line treatment of adult patients with RCC.

It is estimated that 28 million patients suffer from chronic cough, with 10 million patients globally and 6 million in the United States (US) and European Union (EU) suffering from RCC for over a year.¹ RCC is defined as a persistent cough for more than eight weeks that does not respond to treatment for an underlying condition or is otherwise unexplained.² RCC significantly impacts quality of life, with patients suffering from depression (53%), urinary incontinence (~50%), pain, rib fractures, social withdrawal, and loss of sleep.^3,4 There are no approved medicines for RCC in the US and EU.

P2X3 is a validated biological target implicated in cough reflex hypersensitisation, and camlipixant is a highly selective P2X3 antagonist. Current clinical data show that by selectively inhibiting P2X3 receptors, camlipixant may reduce cough frequency for patients suffering from RCC with a relatively low incidence of dysgeusia, the taste disturbance adverse event associated with other medicines that broadly target the P2X2/3 receptor. These taste disturbances frequently lead to patients discontinuing treatment. Notably, low rates of taste-related adverse events were reported at all doses in the phase IIb trial (≤6.5%).⁵

Luke Miels, Chief Commercial Officer, GSK, said: “Patients suffering from severe forms of refractory chronic cough can experience over 900 coughs daily, resulting in quality-of-life issues. Camlipixant, a novel, highly selective P2X3 antagonist, has the potential to be a best-in-class treatment with significant sales potential. This proposed acquisition complements our portfolio of specialty medicines and builds on our expertise in respiratory therapies.”