Shionogi has agreed to acquire Texas-based IntraBio for $2 billion in cash, adding a marketed rare disease treatment to its U.S. operations. The deal, announced Monday, will make IntraBio a wholly owned subsidiary of Shionogi's New Jersey-headquartered U.S. division, according to BioPharma Dive.
The drug at the center of the deal, Aqneursa, emerged from research at the University of Oxford and works by countering the toxic buildup of lipids in cells. It received U.S. approval in 2024 for Niemann-Pick disease type C, a condition affecting about 1 in a million people, and a clearance in September for Ataxia-Telangiectasia. IntraBio reported $68 million in sales for 2025.
Shionogi said the acquisition deepens its commitment to rare disease communities, with CEO Isao Teshirogi highlighting the expansion of capabilities and portfolio. The company's rare disease business began with last year's acquisition of the ALS drug Radicava. An experimental Fragile X syndrome treatment from a 2020 buyout is now in Phase 3 testing, and Shionogi also cited early-stage rare neurodegenerative programs in its pipeline.