The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has decided to dismiss its case aimed at preventing Sanofi from acquiring an exclusive license for a therapy in development by Maze Therapeutics for the treatment of Pompe disease. This decision was taken following Sanofi's termination of the proposed deal.
According to an FTC press release issued earlier this week, the commission had authorized a lawsuit in federal court seeking to block the $755 million proposed acquisition. The FTC alleged that this acquisition would eliminate a nascent monopoly in the Pompe disease therapy market.
The same FTC press release stated that Sanofi is currently the sole supplier of Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs for treating Pompe disease. The FTC argued that Maze’s Phase 2-ready drug MZE001, which represents the first oral treatment for Pompe, could potentially undermine Sanofi’s monopoly. The commission claimed that the deal would have solidified Sanofi's monopoly by eliminating an emerging competitor. Genzyme Corporation, a subsidiary of Sanofi that sought to license the drug, was also included in the commission's complaint.
In response to these actions by the FTC, Sanofi issued a press release expressing its disappointment with the commission's decision. "We respectfully disagree with the action by the FTC which also delays potential advancements that could impact the lives of patients. The Maze partnership was designed to apply Sanofi’s resources, knowledge, and expertise to accelerate the development of MZE001, with the hope of addressing unmet medical needs for this devastating condition," said Sanofi.
According to another FTC press release announcing its dismissal of the case, Bureau of Competition Acting Deputy Director Nate Soderstrom hailed Sanofi’s termination of the deal as a victory for patients. He stated that if Sanofi had maintained its monopoly through this deal, it would have continued charging patients monopoly prices—$750,000 annually—for its Pompe therapies. "Now, with this transaction off the table, Sanofi and Maze can continue to compete on the merits, and both can work to offer patients suffering from this debilitating disease better treatment at affordable prices," Soderstrom said.
