The deal includes worldwide commercial, development, manufacturing and intellectual property rights to the drug, but excludes 12 Asian markets such as China, Korea and Japan.

"Jazz will continue to be laser-focused on investing in our highest strategic priorities including our ongoing launches, advancing our pipeline, pursuing opportunistic corporate development and achieving margin expansion,” said Bruce Cozadd, chairman and CEO of Jazz Pharmaceuticals. “As a leader in sleep medicine and rare epilepsies, with a growing oncology franchise, Jazz remains committed to developing new, innovative therapies in neuroscience and oncology for patients and delivering on our recently announced Vision 2025.”

Sunosi is the first approved dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (DNRI) to treat excessive daytime sleepiness in adults living with narcolepsy or obstructive sleep apnea. The treatment was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2019 and by the European Medicines Agency in 2020.

In 2021, Sunosi realized net sales of $57.9 million, representing year-on-year growth of 104%, according to Axsome, which sees further growth potential in the drug’s current indication along with opportunities to pursue new high-value indications in psychiatry and neurology.

Axsome’s CEO Herriot Tabuteau commented: “The addition of Sunosi will augment and accelerate our commercial preparedness ahead of the potential near-term launches of our two existing lead assets and allows us to fully leverage our first-in-class Digital Centric Commercialization platform with three complimentary assets.”

The deal, which has been unanimously approved by Axsome’s board of directors, is expected to be completed sequentially, with the US part of the transaction to close in the second quarter of 2022, and the ex-US part to close within the following 60 days.

UK CBD capacity hike

In separate news, Jazz and its subsidiary GW Pharmaceuticals, have started building a new manufacturing facility in Sittingbourne, UK. Located at the Kent Science Park, the new facility will cost more than $100 million and is due to open in 2024, creating more than 100 new jobs.

The plant will support the manufacture of Jazz’s two cannabis-based medicines as well as new drugs that are under development. The Park is the heart of Jazz’s global operations for cannabidiol (CBD), manufacturing the extract, APIs and formulated drug products, and employing more than 400 staff.

Chris Tovey, executive vice president, chief operating officer and managing director, Europe & International at Jazz, said the facility “will not only significantly increase our ability to support the growing demand for our medicines, but help us maintain our position as a world leader in cannabinoid science.”