Meda to acquire a respiratory company in the US

Meda is to acquire the US development company Acton Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Acton”) for upto $200m.  Meda will pay $135m upfront, while the rest would be contingent on milestones (sales and regulatory). The primary product in Acton portfolio is Aerospan, which is an inhaler for the treatment of asthma that contains the active substance Flunisolide. The product is approved by the FDA and has shown in clinical studies to have a high deposition of active drug in the airways as a result of a built-in inhalation chamber (called a “spacer”).  Aerospan is intended to be launched in the US in 2014, while launch in other major markets will be done subsequently.