AbbVie Gambles US$21 B that Pharmacyclics’ Imbruvica® will Achieve Upside Potential

Abstract

Paying a huge premium to acquire an on-market asset with multi billion dollar revenue potential, AbbVie has trumped Johnson & Johnson (J&J) with a US$21 B deal to acquire Pharmacyclics. Key to the acquisition is Imbruvica® (ibrutinib), a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (Btk) inhibitor that is approved for a number of B-cell malignancies.The purchase price has shocked many industry observers, effectively valuing Imbruvica as it does at a staggering US$42 B given J&J’s 50% interest in the drug. After being forced to halt its bid to acquire Shire, the deal is another attempt by AbbVie to diversify its business beyond Humira® (adalimumab).