Allergan to acquire Bonti Inc.,and with it EB 001

Allergan plc announced it has agreed to acquire Bonti, Inc. , a privately held clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of novel, fast-acting neurotoxin programs for aesthetic and therapeutic applications. Following completion of the acquisition, Allergan will obtain global rights to Bonti's pipeline consisting of two botulinum neurotoxin serotype E (BoNT/E) programs currently in Phase II development, EB-001A (aesthetic) and EB-001T (therapeutic). The active ingredient in both programs, EB-001, is a novel botulinum neurotoxin serotype E (BoNT/E) with a unique clinical profile, characterized by a rapid onset of action within 24 hours and a 2 to 4-week duration of effect. Bonti recently announced topline results of the first clinical study of EB-001 in glabellar frown lines. The study confirmed both the safety and efficacy of the differentiated profile. Allergan will acquire Bonti for an upfront payment of $195 million and additional potential commercial milestone payments, subject to certain adjustments and other customary closing conditions.