UPDATE: AstraZeneca to buy ZS Pharma to bolster CV portfolio; options for Actelion

As the M&A frenzy continues apace, Anglo-Swedish pharma major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZ) on Friday morning revealed that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire ZS Pharma (Nasdaq: ZSPH), a biopharmaceutical company based in San Mateo, California, beating overtures from Swiss biotech Actelion (SIX: ATLN), which earlier this year reported interest in the company (The Pharma Letter September 11).

ZS Pharma uses its proprietary ion­-trap technology to develop novel treatments for hyperkalemia (high potassium levels), a serious condition of elevated potassium in the bloodstream, typically associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and chronic heart failure (CHF).

The transaction will give AstraZeneca access to the potassium-binding compound ZS-9, a potential best-in-class treatment for hyperkalemia, a condition associated with increased mortality in CKD and CHF. ZS-9 is under regulatory review by the US Food and Drug Administration with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act goal date of May 26, 2016. A submission for European Marketing Application Authorization is planned by the end of 2015. Current estimates for global peak year sales of ZS-9 exceed $1 billion, according to AstraZeneca.