NEW YORK, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Johnson & Johnson (J&J), the American multinational pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical technologies corporation, agreed to acquire mental-illness drug developer Intra-Cellular Therapies for about 15 billion U.S. dollars, evidence of the pharmaceutical industry's renewed interest in neuroscience bets with vast but unrealized promise, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
The deal would add to J&J's portfolio an Intra-Cellular drug branded Caplyta, a pill that treats bipolar depression and schizophrenia. Analysts predict the drug's sales could reach 4 billion dollars a year by 2030 if regulators approve expanding its use to include major depressive disorder.
"That would provide a much-needed boost to J&J's pharmaceutical sales as the company fights sales erosion from the loss of patent protection for its blockbuster Stelara treatment for autoimmune disorders," said the report.
Intra-Cellular is developing additional drugs for mental illnesses that could further boost sales for J&J if they succeed in testing and are cleared by regulators. The acquisition also includes ITI-1284, a Phase 2 compound being studied in generalized anxiety disorder and Alzheimer's disease-related psychosis and agitation, as well as a pipeline that meshes with J&J's current areas of focus.
