Valeant Pharma completes $318 acquisition of Aton Pharma

Acquisitive California, USA-based Valeant Pharmaceuticals International says that, effective May 26, the company completed its previously-announced purchase of Aton Pharma, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on ophthalmology and certain orphan drug indications, located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, for approximately $318 million.

This is Valeant's fourth acquisition so far this year. In March it acquired Instituto Terapeutico Delta and an unnamed branded generics and over-the-counter medicines maker in Brazil, for about $28 million. In April it purchased another branded generics and OTC Brazilian firm for $56 million. Last month it entered into an agreement to acquire Vital Science, an OTC dermatology company located in Toronto, Canada, for around $10.35 million (The Pharma Letters passim).

This latest deal is expected to enhance Valeant's neurology and other products franchise in the USA. Aton is projected to have $80'$100 million in annual revenue in 2010. It is currently owned by affiliates of Cerberus Capital Management.