According to Paul Matteis, an analyst at Stifel, the closing of the deal removes a question mark hanging over UniQure’s stock. Regulators, especially those in the U.S., are taking harder looks at pharmaceutical acquisitions, suggesting that approval of the UniQure-CSL asset sale wasn’t assured.
The CSL deal, originally announced in June 2020, surprised some investors who saw UniQure as a takeover target. By selling its most closely watched experimental medicine, the company likely removed itself from the running to be bought anytime soon.
Meanwhile, the transaction offered UniQure an immediate infusion of cash needed to develop other products, including an experimental therapy for Huntington’s disease. Analysts expect initial data from the treatment by the end of the year.
