Savara Pharma acquires Serendex and its lead product Molgradex

US specialty drugmaker Savara Pharmaceuticals, which is focused on rare respiratory diseases, today announced the acquisition of the assets of Danish drug developer Serendex Pharmaceuticals, in an all stock deal that will add two new programs to its pipeline.

Serendex’ lead product, Molgradex, is an inhaled form of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), currently in a Phase II/III clinical study in Europe and Japan to treat autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP). The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by Savara's shareholders.

"The acquisition is a transformational milestone for Savara, expanding our pipeline of orphan respiratory drugs with an exciting product for a highly debilitating disease with no approved medicinal treatments," said Rob Neville, chief executive of Savara. "Molgradex is a beautiful fit with our lead product, AeroVanc, and has the potential to be a truly disease-modifying treatment for PAP based on clinical evidence from academically sponsored pilot studies and case reports on inhaled GM-CSF," he added.