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- AcertaPharma
AcertaPharma Acquisition, Valuation, Funding & Investors
AcertaPharma was acquired by AstraZeneca in April 2021.
Key investors in AcertaPharma
OrbiMed
BOM
Frazier Healthcare Partners
BioGeneration Ventures
About AcertaPharma
Acerta Pharma is a biopharmaceutical company that developed acalabrutinib, a selective, irreversible second-generation Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor that AstraZeneca markets as Calquence for blood cancers. The company applies covalent binding technology to create targeted therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases and also developed ACP-319, an isoform-selective PI3K delta inhibitor. It was established in 2013 in Oss, the Netherlands, by former Organon scientists who had licensed the BTK programme from MSD, together with US founders with clinical expertise, and was backed by BOM Capital, BioGeneration Ventures, Frazier Healthcare and OrbiMed. Its US headquarters was in Redwood City, California, and it had around 150 employees when AstraZeneca completed the purchase of a 55% stake in February 2016 for $2.5 billion upfront plus a $1.5 billion payment on first approval. As a development-stage company Acerta earned no product revenue before the AstraZeneca deal. AstraZeneca exercised its option to buy the remaining 45% in April 2021 after Calquence was approved in the European Union, making Acerta a wholly owned subsidiary.
Founded
2013
HQ
Website
Status
Acquired
Customer focus
B2B
Revenue model
Product sales
Sectors
AcertaPharma Acquisition
AcertaPharma was acquired by AstraZeneca for an undisclosed price on 15 April 2021.
AstraZeneca exercised its option to acquire the remaining 45% of the shares in Acerta Pharma in April 2021, completing its ownership of the developer of the blood cancer drug Calquence (acalabrutinib). The option dated from AstraZeneca's purchase of a 55% controlling stake in February 2016 for $2.5 billion upfront plus a further $1.5 billion unconditional payment, under a share purchase and option agreement that let Acerta's shareholders sell, and AstraZeneca buy, the minority stake once acalabrutinib was approved in the US and Europe. The original agreement priced the remaining shares at approximately $3 billion net of certain costs and adjusting items; an amendment in October 2019 reduced the maximum consideration and spread payment over similar annual instalments from 2022. The last condition for the options was met in November 2020, when Calquence received marketing approval in the European Union. Acerta Pharma applies covalent binding technology to create selective therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases, with operations in Oss, the Netherlands, and in California. Following the exercise Acerta Pharma B.V. and its US subsidiary became wholly owned by AstraZeneca.
| Acquirer | Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Apr 2021 | Strategic M&A |
Sources: sec.gov, astrazeneca.com
AcertaPharma Funding History
AcertaPharma has raised 1 funding round.
| Date | Stage | Investors | Deal Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2013 | Series A | Frazier Healthcare Partners (lead); OrbiMed; BOM; BioGeneration Ventures | Acerta Pharma was a biotech company focused on oncology, later developing Calquence (acalabrutinib), which received FDA approval years after its acquisition by AstraZeneca. The 2013 Series A aligned with Frazier Healthcare Partners' strategy of investing in early-stage life sciences companies transitioning from preclinical to clinical proof-of-concept stages. Frazier, a prominent healthcare venture firm, backed Acerta as part of its portfolio emphasizing exceptional teams in high-need medical areas like cancer. Acerta Pharma's trajectory post-2013 included a Series B in 2015 and a corporate majority acquisition by AstraZeneca in December 2015 at a $4,000 million valuation. Frazier's involvement highlights its track record with exits like Acerta, Tobira Therapeutics (acquired by Allergan), and AnaptysBio IPO. |
Who has invested in AcertaPharma?
4 investors have backed AcertaPharma across its funding rounds, including OrbiMed, BOM, Frazier Healthcare Partners and BioGeneration Ventures.
Lead investors include Frazier Healthcare Partners.
AcertaPharma Investors
| Investor | HQ | Rounds | Role | First check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lead | Mar 2013 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Mar 2013 | ||
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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples
Sign up to see data on 350K+ funding rounds and disclosed revenue and EBITDA valuation multiples, from seed, through growth stage, to pre-IPO.
Start Free TrialAcertaPharma Competitors
AcertaPharma competitors include listed companies like Huadong Medicine, Bachem, Gedeon Richter and Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, and private ones like Intas Pharmaceuticals and Biocon Biologics.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publicly listed | $6.5B | $758M | $7.3B | 1.1x | ||
| Publicly listed | $851M | $250M | $7.3B | 6.8x | ||
| Publicly listed | $2.9B | $1B | $7.2B | 2.2x | ||
| Publicly listed | $678M | $90M | $7.4B | 6.8x | ||
| Private | $2B | - | $8.5B | - | ||
| Private | $1.1B | $163M | $5.5B | 5.1x |
AcertaPharma Public Comps
AcertaPharma is no longer listed, but its public comps include Huadong Medicine, Bachem, Caris Life Sciences, Gedeon Richter, Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Cytokinetics, Grifols, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Indivior Pharmaceuticals and Ono Pharmaceutical.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $6.5B | $758M | 1.1x | 1.1x | 9.3x | 9.0x | |||
| $851M | $250M | 8.8x | 6.8x | 30.0x | 22.5x | |||
| $812M | ($5M) | 8.5x | 6.9x | (1354.5x) | 40.1x | |||
| $2.9B | $1B | 2.2x | 2.2x | 6.1x | 5.7x | |||
| $678M | $90M | 10.1x | 6.8x | 75.4x | 44.3x | |||
| $88M | ($719M) | 86.6x | 50.5x | (10.6x) | (11.1x) | |||
| $8.4B | $1.8B | 2.4x | 2.3x | 11.0x | 9.4x | |||
| $3B | $604M | 3.4x | 3.2x | 17.0x | 12.9x | |||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all AcertaPharma competitors and their valuation data. Start Free Trial | ||||||||
Common questions about AcertaPharma
| When was AcertaPharma founded? | AcertaPharma was founded in 2013. |
| Where is AcertaPharma headquartered? | AcertaPharma is headquartered in Redwood City, CA, United States. |
| Is AcertaPharma publicly listed? | No, AcertaPharma was acquired by AstraZeneca in April 2021. |
| Who acquired AcertaPharma? | AcertaPharma was acquired by AstraZeneca in April 2021. |
| What was AcertaPharma's last funding round? | AcertaPharma's last funding round was a Series A in March 2013, led by Frazier Healthcare Partners. |
| Who are AcertaPharma's investors? | AcertaPharma's investors include Frazier Healthcare Partners, OrbiMed, BOM and BioGeneration Ventures. |
| Which companies are comparable to AcertaPharma? | Companies comparable to AcertaPharma include Huadong Medicine, Bachem, Gedeon Richter, Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Intas Pharmaceuticals and Biocon Biologics. |
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