Vertex Pharmaceuticals recently acquired a spinal cord injury repair drug from BioAxome Bioseicneces, which could be the company's saving grace after the hepatitis C drug Vertex took a gamble on failed, according to an Xconomy report.
Here are five key things to know:
1. The spinal cord injury repair drug, originally called Cethrin, is 15 years old.
2. The drug, now called VX-210, was abandoned during the financial crisis, but one of the innovating neuroscientists resurrected it.
3. Vertex paid just $10 million for the drug up front, and could pay around $90 million in the future as VX-210 goes into Phase 2b trial.
4. There is also a trigger that would allow Vertex to purchase BioAxone outright.
5. The drug seemed "off the radar" for some, but fits within Vertex's neurological disease" platforms. The initial acquisition was low-risk for Vertex.