ACT Does A Balancing Act, HSP Snapped Up, PTLA, RXDX Up After-Hours

(RTTNews) - Seeking to enhance focus on core strategic therapeutic categories, Actavis plc (ACT) has decided to divest its rights to branded respiratory portfolio in the U.S. and Canada to AstraZeneca plc (AZN) for an initial consideration of $600 million on completion and low single-digit royalties above a certain revenue threshold.

The transaction, which is subject to antitrust law clearance as well as other customary terms and conditions, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2015.

Upon completion of the transaction, AstraZeneca will own the development and commercial rights in the U.S. and Canada to Tudorza Pressair, a twice-daily long-acting muscarinic antagonist for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and Daliresp, the only once-daily oral PDE4 inhibitor currently on the market for COPD. The two products had combined annual sales in the U.S. of approximately $230 million in 2014.

AstraZeneca will also own development rights in the U.S. and Canada for LAS40464, which is approved in the EU under the brand name Duaklir Genuair.

ACT closed Thursday's trading at $274.67, up 3.17%.

Hospira Inc. (HSP) is all set to be acquired by Pfizer Inc. (PFE) for $90 a share in cash for a total enterprise value of roughly $17 billion.

The transaction is expected to significantly enhance Pfizer's global established pharmaceutical business.

Pfizer expects the deal to be accretive by $0.10 - $0.12 per share for the first full year following the close of the transaction with additional accretion anticipated thereafter.

HSP closed Thursday's trading at $87.64, up 35.25%. PFE closed the day's trading 2.87% higher at $32.99.

Ignyta Inc.'s (RXDX) lead product candidate Entrectinib has been granted orphan drug designation by FDA for the treatment of TrkA-positive, TrkB-positive, TrkC-positive, ROS1-positive and ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer.

Entrectinib was previously granted orphan drug designation by the FDA for the treatment of neuroblastoma.

Entrectinib is currently in two ongoing phase I/II studies.

RXDX closed Wednesday's trading at $6.64, down 1.04%. In after-hours, the stock was up 5.42% at $7.00.

Lombard Medical Inc. (EVAR) is expanding its Aorfix endovascular stent graft portfolio with another FDA approval - this time for Aorfix Plus.

Aorfix received initial FDA clearance in February 2013 for proximal diameter devices between 24mm-31mm. The new FDA approval now provides the ability for the company to market Aorfix devices between 24mm-36mm in the U.S.

Aorfix is an endovascular stent graft system for treating infra-renal aortic and aorto-iliac aneurysms, also known as abdominal aortic aneurysms.

EVAR closed Thursday's trading 5.15% higher at $5.50.

Nu Skin Enterprises Inc. (NUS) has increased the quarterly cash dividend to $0.35 from the previous dividend of $0.345 per share. The quarterly dividend will be paid on March 18, 2015, to stockholders of record on Feb. 27, 2015.

In related news, the company said its full-year 2014 revenue was $2.57 billion, a 19 percent year-over-year decline. Despite the 2014 revenue decline, its three-year compounded annual revenue growth rate was 14 percent, reflecting longer-term business improvement, added the company.

NUS closed Thursday's trading 13.73% higher at $50.69.

Oxford Immunotec Global PLC (OXFD) announced that the first patients have been enrolled in a pivotal clinical trial of its T-SPOTCMV and T-SPOT.PRT products.

T-SPOT.CMV test measures the strength of T cell responses to Cytomegalovirus (CMV) as a measure of susceptibility to CMV infection, and the T-SPOT.PRT (Panel of Reactive T cells) test measures a patient's T cell immune response to foreign tissue to assist in the assessment of risk of graft rejection.

OXFD closed Thursday's trading at $13.00, up 2.77%.

Portola Pharmaceuticals' (PTLA) phase III study of its investigational compound Betrixaban has successfully passed futility analysis, and therefore will continue as planned without modification.

The study, dubbed APEX, is assessing Betrixaban, an oral, once-daily, investigational Factor Xa inhibitor, for both hospital and post-discharge prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE), or blood clots, in acute medically ill patients. Acute medically ill patients are those who are hospitalized for serious medical conditions, such as heart failure, stroke, infection and pulmonary disease.

The APEX Study is over 65 percent enrolled at over 450 sites worldwide, and enrolment is scheduled for completion by the end of this year. The top-line results from the study are expected in early 2016.

PTLA closed Thursday's trading at $27.50, down 0.47%. In after-hours, the stock was up 11.64% at $30.70.