Italian pharmaceutical company Chiesi Group has signed, through its UK affiliate, Chiesi Ltd., a definitive agreement with Sunstone Capital to acquire Zymenex Holding A/S and its related group of companies.
Danish Zymenex is a biopharmaceutical group focused on research and development of innovative biologic therapeutics for the treatment of rare and life threatening genetic diseases. The company was founded in 1998, with headquarters in Hilleroed north of Copenhagen, Denmark and research laboratories in Stockholm, Sweden. The acquisition of Zymenex includes Lamazym (rhLAMAN), a phase III recombinant enzyme indicated for use to treat patients suffering from alpha-Mannosidosis, as well as other early stage compounds. Lamazym has received Orphan Drug Designation in both Europe and the US.
“Zymenex has from the very beginning focused on orphan drugs in the field of Lysosomal Storage Diseases. Patient focus and high quality research in all aspects of the development process are the basis for the company’s success,” says Sten Verland, Chairman of the Board in Zymenex and partner with Sunstone Capital. “We are very pleased to handover the ownership of Zymenex to Chiesi, and we believe that Chiesi through its regulatory expertise and worldwide commercial footprint has the resources needed to fully exploit the potential of Zymenex’ R&D for the benefit of patients with rare, serious, genetic diseases, for which there is no treatment available today.”
Sunstone Capital is an independent venture capital investor founded in 2007 and focuses on developing and expanding early-stage Life Science and Technology companies. Within Life Science, Sunstone Capital has invested in more than 35 companies in the areas of pharmaceuticals, medical technologies and diagnostics, and has completed several successful exits and IPOs.
At the time of the sale, Sunstone Capital owned 90 percent of the shares. Terms of the transaction or the value of the acquisition have not been disclosed.
