BioMarin Pharmaceutical has completed its previously announced acquisition of Alesta Therapeutics, adding the clinical-stage asset ALE1 and strengthening BioMarin’s portfolio of therapies targeting skeletal conditions.
Following completion of the transaction, Alesta Therapeutics is now a wholly owned subsidiary of BioMarin. Financial terms were not disclosed in the closing announcement.
The central asset in the acquisition is ALE1, an oral small molecule being developed as a potential treatment for hypophosphatasia (HPP), a rare genetic bone disease caused by mutations in the ALPL gene.
ALE1 is currently being evaluated in an ongoing Phase 1/2a clinical trial assessing its safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in healthy volunteers and adults with HPP.
If successfully developed and approved, BioMarin said ALE1 has the potential to become a first-in-class oral therapy for HPP, giving the company another potential treatment in an area aligned with its rare disease and skeletal conditions expertise.
BioMarin originally announced the definitive agreement to acquire Alesta on August 18, 2026.
Before the acquisition closed, Alesta spun out all of its assets other than ALE1 into a separate entity. As a result, BioMarin’s acquisition is specifically centered on ALE1 and the opportunity to advance the program through clinical development.
The acquisition adds to BioMarin’s broader strategy of developing medicines for genetically defined rare diseases. The company currently has nine commercial therapies along with clinical and preclinical development programs.
Alesta is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on oral small-molecule therapies for underserved diseases, with ALE1 serving as its lead clinical-stage program before completion of the transaction.
The BioMarin closing announcement did not include a management quote.
