Ipsen strengthens its position in the dynamic rare diseases segment

Ipsen intends to play in the big leagues. To achieve this, the third French laboratory – behind Sanofi and Servier – is betting in particular on acquisitions. It will thus pay nearly 1 billion euros to get its hands on the American biotech Albireo, based in Boston. The operation, which is done with a premium of more than 100% compared to the average price of the title, allows it to strengthen itself in rare diseases, one of the three pillars of the French group with oncology and neurosciences. “We believe this is a solid growth opportunity for Ipsen“said David Loew, its managing director.

Ipsen, which achieved 2.9 billion euros in sales in 2021, particularly coveted Bylvay, a “very promising drug with potential in rare liver diseases“. It is the first approved treatment for progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, a rare disease affecting bile secretion, which affects 1,250 patients…