Teva Pharmaceutical Industries announced the completion of its acquisition of Emalex Biosciences, adding late-stage neuroscience candidate ecopipam to its pipeline and advancing the company’s Pivot to Growth strategy.
At closing, Teva paid $700 million to acquire Emalex, with the potential for up to an additional $200 million in commercial milestone payments and net sales-based royalties following regulatory approval and commercialization.
The acquisition brings ecopipam, a first-in-class selective dopamine D1 receptor antagonist, into Teva’s portfolio. The investigational therapy is being developed for pediatric Tourette syndrome and has received both Orphan Drug and Fast Track designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Teva said a New Drug Application submission for ecopipam is expected during the second half of 2026. Results from the Phase 3 trial were recently published in JAMA Neurology.
The Phase 3 study evaluated pediatric patients with Tourette syndrome who had stabilized and responded to ecopipam before being randomized to continue treatment or switch to placebo. The trial met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in time to relapse compared with placebo, with a p-value of 0.0084.
Ecopipam was generally well tolerated in the study. The most commonly reported adverse events included somnolence, insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, and headache.
Tourette syndrome is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by involuntary motor and vocal tics that typically begin during childhood. While existing therapies can provide relief, many patients continue to experience inadequate symptom control or are limited by side effects.
Emalex Biosciences was created by Paragon Biosciences to develop treatments for central nervous system disorders. The company advanced ecopipam through clinical development and prepared the NDA package for pediatric Tourette syndrome.
The transaction strengthens Teva’s neuroscience portfolio and supports its efforts to transition into a more innovation-focused biopharmaceutical company.
KEY QUOTES:
“This acquisition reflects our Pivot to Growth strategy in action, advancing our innovative pipeline through focused, capital-efficient business development. It adds a late-stage opportunity with potential to address a significant unmet need in Tourette syndrome, and with our deep neuroscience expertise, we are well-positioned to advance this program.”
Richard Francis, President And Chief Executive Officer, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
