Vasogen and IntelliPharmaCeutics agree to merge

US drugmakers Vasogen and IntelliPharmaCeutics (IPC) have entered into a definitive agreement, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals, whereby Vasogen will combine with IPC under a plan of arrangement and merger to continue as a publicly-traded entity to be called IntelliPharmaCeutics International Ltd.

IPC is a privately-held specialty pharmaceutical company that is focused on developing and manufacturing new and generic controlled-release pharmaceutical products using its broadly applicable, proprietary delivery technologies. Currently, IPC has 15 product candidates in its development pipeline several of which are partnered with third-party drug companies. IPC's lead product candidates include Dexmethylphenidate XR, a generic version of the marketed drug Focalin XR, which is partnered with Par Pharmaceutical and is currently the subject of an Abbreviated New Drug Application filing with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Carvedilol CR, a generic version of the brand name drug Coreg CR, an internal pipeline product now ready for entry into pivotal bioequivalence studies.

Separately, Vasogen has also entered into an arrangement agreement with Canada's Cervus,  that will reorganize Vasogen prior to completion of the transaction with IPC and which will provide gross proceeds to Vasogen of around $7.5 million in non-dilutive capital.