One of the biggest announcements out of the marijuana space this month has been that Jazz Pharmaceuticals has agreed to buy GW Pharmaceuticals for a staggering $7.2 billion.
As Wall Street learned the news, shares of GWPH stock went on to hit a record high.
Under the terms of the deal, which is expected to close in the second quarter, Jazz will pay $220 per American depositary share. That’s split in $200 per ADS in cash and $20 in Jazz ordinary shares. The entire deal values GWPH stock at $7.2 billion, or $6.7 billion net of GW Pharma’s cash.
“Jazz is proud of our leadership position in sleep medicines and rapidly growing oncology business. We are excited to add GW’s industry-leading cannabinoid platform, innovative pipeline and products, which will strengthen and broaden our neuroscience portfolio, further diversify our revenue and drive sustainable, long-term value creation opportunities,” said Bruce Cozadd, chairman and CEO of Jazz Pharmaceuticals. “We are joining two teams that share a passion for, and track record of, developing differentiated therapies that advance science and transform the lives of patients. This will help facilitate a successful integration and bring added capabilities to Jazz. Given the strength of our balance sheet and the meaningful financial drivers of the transaction, we are confident in the value we can deliver to both companies’ shareholders and patients. We look forward to welcoming the GW team to Jazz to build an even stronger company.”
“Over the last two decades, GW has built an unparalleled global leadership position in cannabinoid science, including the successful launch of Epidiolex, a breakthrough product within the field of epilepsy, and a diverse and robust neuroscience pipeline. We believe that Jazz is an ideal growth partner that is committed to supporting our commercial efforts, as well as ongoing clinical and research programs,” said Justin Gover, CEO of GW Pharmaceuticals. “We have a shared vision of developing and commercializing innovative medicines that address significant unmet needs in neuroscience and an approach of putting patients first. Together, we will have an opportunity to reach and impact more patients through a broader portfolio of neuroscience-focused therapies than ever before.”
Whie Jazz focuses on sleeping disorders, GW Pharmaceuticals was the first company to receive FDA approval for a drug derived from the cannabis plant called Epidiolex for the treatment of seizures.
“The acquisition allows Jazz to become a significant epilepsy player by adding Epidiolex, which exited 2020 with sales annualizing at about $576 million despite a challenging Covid environment and ahead of significant growth driven by a tuberous sclerosis label expansion and broad European launch,” said Needham analyst Serge Belanger said in a report to clients.
Disclaimer: We have no position in any of the companies mentioned and have not been compensated for this article.
