Vivus Inc. said June 11 that it closed a deal to acquire product rights for Pancreaze from Johnson & Johnson unit Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Campbell, Calif.-based Vivus paid $135 million in cash for rights to Pancreaze delayed-release capsules in the U.S. and Canada. The drug, also called pancrelipase, is a treatment for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, or the inability to digest food normally due to insufficient enzyme production by the pancreas. Cystic fibrosis and other conditions may cause exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
Vivus said in May that it expects the deal to be the first in a series of product acquisitions that will help the company generate revenue and strengthen its financial position.
