BioMarin trades up to $162M for Repligen's stable of HDAC inhibitors

BioMarin ($BMRN) is taking a flyer on HDAC inhibitors, taking up Repligen's ($RGEN) portfolio in exchange for as much as $162 million and adding candidates in Friedreich's ataxia and other neurological disorders. Under the deal, BioMarin will fork over just $2 million up front with the rest tied to milestones, and Repligen is eligible for an undisclosed cut of any marketable drugs that stem from its HDAC technology. The Waltham, MA, biotech has been selling off its discontinued assets to better focus on its bioprocessing business, last year handing Pfizer ($PFE) a Phase I drug for spinal muscular atrophy in exchange for up to $70 million. Release