Johnson & Johnson buys Swiss biopharma firm Actelion for $ 30 billion

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) will acquire Swiss biopharmaceutical company Actelion Ltd for $ 30 billion. As part of the transaction, immediately prior to the completion of the acquisition, Actelion will spin out its drug discovery operations and early-stage clinical development assets into a new listed company (R&D NewCo).

Actelion has established a leading franchise of differentiated, innovative products for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) that is highly complementary to the existing portfolio of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. The addition of Actelion’s specialty in-market medicines and late-stage products is consistent with Johnson & Johnson’s efforts to grow in attractive