Shire Acquires Foresight Biotherapeutics for $300 Million

Shire has purchased Foresight Biotherapeutics for $300 million in cash, boosting its ophthalmics portfolio with the global rights to a therapy in late-stage development to treat pink eye.

If approved, FST-100 (povidone iodine and dexamethasone) would be the first drug to treat both bacterial and viral eye infections, Foresight says.

Once the deal closes, Shire will be responsible for implementing a Phase 3 clinical development program to determine if FST-100 is effective in treating adenoviral conjunctivitis and bacterial conjunctivitis.

Shire hopes to launch the eye drop in the 4th quarter of 2019. The product is a strategic fit with Shire’s lifitegrast, which is in late-stage development to treat dry eye disease. — Jonathon Shacat