Press Release
January 29, 2018

Ablynx to Be Acquired by Sanofi for €3.9 Billion

Goodwin’s Life Sciences and Mergers + Acquisitions teams advised Ablynx (Euronext Brussels and Nasdaq: ABLX] in its definitive agreement to be acquired by Sanofi [Euronext: SAN; NYSE: SNY] under which Sanofi will offer to acquire all of the outstanding ordinary shares, including shares represented by American Depositary Shares, warrants and convertible bonds of Ablynx at a price per Ablynx share of €45 in cash, which represents an aggregate equity value of approximately €3.9 billion. The consummation of the public offers is subject to customary conditions, including the tender of securities representing at least 75% of the outstanding shares of Ablynx at the end of the initial acceptance period of the Belgian Tender Offer, and the receipt of required regulatory approvals. The public offers are expected to be launched by the beginning of the second quarter of 2018. The transaction was unanimously approved by both the Ablynx and Sanofi boards of directors.

Ablynx’s most advanced product in development is caplacizumab (anti-vWF Nanobody), a wholly owned development program for the treatment of acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP). The product is already filed in the European Union and expected to be filed in the U.S. during the first half of this year. Caplacizumab, if approved, would be the first-in-class treatment for this acute, life-threatening disease.

Ablynx is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of Nanobodies®, proprietary therapeutic proteins based on single-domain antibody fragments, which combine the advantages of conventional antibody drugs with some of the features of small-molecule drugs. Ablynx is dedicated to creating new medicines that will make a real difference to society. Today, Ablynx has more than 45 proprietary and partnered programs in development in various therapeutic areas including inflammation, haematology, immuno-oncology, oncology and respiratory disease. The company is headquartered in Ghent, Belgium.

The Goodwin team was led by partners Mitchell Bloom, James Matarese and Blake Liggio and John Mutkoski.

The firm also represented Ablynx in the closing of its initial public offering totaling $200 million in November 2017.

For additional details on the acquisition, please read the press release.