Sweden’s Sobi to buy US biotech Arthrosi for up to $1.5 billion to boost gout pipeline

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Dec 13 (Reuters) – Drugmaker Swedish Orphan Biovitrum said on Saturday it had agreed to acquire U.S.-based biotechnology company Arthrosi Therapeutics for up to $1.5 billion to strengthen its portfolio of gout treatments.

Sobi will pay $950 million upfront in cash and up to $550 million in cash in clinical, regulatory and sales milestones, the company said.

San Diego, California-headquartered Arthrosi is developing an experimental treatment for gout that has been shown in mid-stage trials to be effective in achieving a sustained reduction in serum uric acid with a well-tolerated safety profile.

There are currently two late-stage trials underway with data expected in 2026.

Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid in the body, leading to pain and swelling in the joints.

“The acquisition of Arthrosi allows us to expand our gout pipeline with a highly differentiated new asset,” Sobi CEO Guido Oelkers said in a statement.

Sobi plans to fund the upfront payment mainly through debt, using existing credit facilities and a new credit line. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to customary conditions, Sobi said.

(Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan and Nilutpal Timsina in Bengaluru. Editing by Timothy Heritage and Mark Potter)