Carlyle and SK Capital Receive All Required Regulatory Approvals to Complete the Acquisition of bluebird bio
bluebird Board of Directors unanimously supports the transaction as the only viable option for stockholders to receive consideration for their shares and recommends that all stockholders immediately tender their shares into the offer
Parties expect the merger to be completed promptly following the successful completion of the ongoing tender offer
No further regulatory approvals are required to complete the transaction. The parties expect to complete the merger promptly following the successful completion of the ongoing tender offer, which is scheduled to expire one minute after 11:59 p.m.
Under the terms of the merger agreement, stockholders will receive an upfront payment of
“The bluebird Board unanimously recommends that stockholders tender into the offer, which expires May 12, 2025. Absent a majority of stockholders tendering, bluebird is at significant risk of defaulting on its loan agreements with Hercules Capital and it is extremely unlikely that stockholders would receive any consideration for their shares in a bankruptcy or liquidation,” said Mark Vachon, chairman of the bluebird bio Board of Directors. “The bluebird Board considered all reasonable alternatives during its review of strategic alternatives and concluded that the proposed transaction with
“The receipt of all required regulatory approvals is excellent news for stockholders as well as for patients and families seeking to be treated with bluebird gene therapies,” said Andrew Obenshain, chief executive officer, bluebird bio. “With this update, we have a clear path forward to close the transaction and officially begin the next chapter of bluebird’s journey to deliver potentially curative gene therapies in the commercial setting.”
Stockholders who need assistance with tendering their shares of common stock of bluebird may contact the Information Agent, Innisfree M&A Incorporated, by calling toll-free at (877) 825-8793.
About bluebird bio
Founded in 2010, bluebird has been setting the standard for gene therapy for more than a decade—first as a scientific pioneer and now as a commercial leader. bluebird has an unrivaled track record in bringing the promise of gene therapy out of clinical studies and into the real-world setting, having secured FDA approvals for three therapies in under two years. Today, we are proving and scaling the commercial model for gene therapy and delivering innovative solutions for access to patients, providers, and payers.
With a dedicated focus on severe genetic diseases, bluebird has the largest and deepest ex-vivo gene therapy data set in the field, with industry-leading programs for sickle cell disease, ß-thalassemia, and cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy. We custom design each of our therapies to address the underlying cause of disease and have developed in-depth and effective analytical methods to understand the safety of our lentiviral vector technologies and drive the field of gene therapy forward.
bluebird continues to forge new paths as a standalone commercial gene therapy company, combining our real-world experience with a deep commitment to patient communities and a people-centric culture that attracts and grows a diverse flock of dedicated birds.
About
About SK Capital
SK Capital is a transformational private investment firm with a disciplined focus on the life sciences, specialty materials, and ingredients sectors. The firm seeks to build resilient, sustainable, and growing businesses that create substantial long-term value. SK Capital aims to utilize its industry, operating, and investment experience to identify opportunities to transform businesses into higher performing organizations with improved strategic positioning, growth, and profitability, as well as lower operating risk. SK Capital’s portfolio of businesses generates revenues of approximately
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT
This communication is not an offer to buy nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities of bluebird. The solicitation and the offer to buy shares of bluebird’s common stock is being made pursuant to a Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO, including an offer to purchase, a letter of transmittal and other related materials, that were filed by Beacon Parent Holdings, L.P. (“Parent”) and Beacon Merger Sub, Inc. (“Merger Sub”) with the SEC on March 7, 2025. In addition, bluebird has filed a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with respect to the tender offer with the SEC on March 7, 2025. The tender offer materials and the Solicitation/Recommendation statement, as they may be amended from time to time, contain important information that should be read carefully when they become available and considered before any decision is made with respect to the tender offer. Investors will be able to obtain a free copy of these materials and other documents filed by Parent, Merger Sub and bluebird with the SEC at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Investors may also obtain, at no charge, copies of these materials and other documents by calling Innisfree M&A Incorporated, the information agent for the Offer, toll-free at (877) 825-8793 for stockholders or by calling collect at (212) 750-5833 for banks or brokers.
INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ THESE DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT ON SCHEDULE 14D-9 OF BLUEBIRD AND ANY AMENDMENTS THERETO, AS WELL AS ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE TENDER OFFER AND THE MERGER THAT ARE FILED WITH THE SEC, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY PRIOR TO MAKING ANY DECISIONS WITH RESPECT TO WHETHER TO TENDER THEIR SHARES INTO THE TENDER OFFER BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE TENDER OFFER.
Forward-Looking Statements
The statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. Words or phrases such as “believe,” “may,” “could,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “seek,” “plan,” “expect,” “should,” “would” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on bluebird’s current beliefs and expectations and include, but are not limited to: statements regarding beliefs about the potential benefits of the transaction contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of February 21, 2025 (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among bluebird, Parent and Merger Sub; the planned completion and timing of the transaction contemplated by the Merger Agreement; statements regarding bluebird’s future results of operations and financial position; bluebird’s expectations with respect to the commercialization of its products, including without limitation, patient demand, the timing and amount of revenue recognition; and bluebird’s ability to establish favorable coverage for its therapies. Risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ from expectations include: uncertainties as to the timing and completion of the offer and the merger; uncertainties as to the percentage of bluebird stockholders tendering their shares in the offer; the possibility that competing offers will be made; the possibility that various closing conditions for the offer or the merger may not be satisfied or waived, including the failure to receive any required regulatory approvals from any applicable regulatory and/or governmental entities (or any conditions, limitations or restrictions placed on such approvals); risks relating to bluebird’s liquidity during the pendency of the offer and the merger or in the event of a termination of the Merger Agreement; risks that the milestone related to the contingent value right is not achieved; the effects of disruption caused by the transaction making it more difficult to maintain relationships with employees, collaborators, vendors and other business partners; risks related to diverting management’s attention from bluebird’s ongoing business operations; the risk that stockholder litigation in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement may result in significant costs of defense, indemnification and liability; delays and challenges in bluebird’s commercialization and manufacturing of its products, including challenges in manufacturing vector for ZYNTEGLO and SKYSONA to meet current demand; the internal and external costs required for bluebird’s ongoing and planned activities, and the resulting impact on expense and use of cash, has been, and may in the future be, higher than expected, which has caused bluebird, and may in the future cause bluebird, to use cash more quickly than it expects or change or curtail some of its plans or both; substantial doubt exists regarding bluebird’s ability to continue as a going concern; bluebird’s expectations as to expenses, cash usage and cash needs may prove not to be correct for other reasons such as changes in plans or actual events being different than bluebird’s assumptions; the risk that additional funding may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all; risks related to bluebird’s loan agreement, including the risk that operating restrictions could adversely affect bluebird’s ability to conduct its business, the risk that bluebird will not achieve milestones required to access future tranches under the agreement, and the risk that bluebird will fail to comply with covenants under the agreement, including with respect to required cash and revenue levels, which could result in an event of default; the risk that the efficacy and safety results from bluebird’s prior and ongoing clinical trials will not continue or be seen in the commercial context; the risk that the QTCs experience delays in their ability to enroll or treat patients; the risk that bluebird experiences delays in establishing operational readiness across its supply chain; the risk that there is not sufficient patient demand or payer reimbursement to support continued commercialization of bluebird’s therapies; the risk of insertional oncogenic or other safety events associated with lentiviral vector, drug product, or myeloablation, including the risk of hematologic malignancy; the risk that bluebird’s products, including LYFGENIA, will not be successfully commercialized; and other risks and uncertainties pertaining to bluebird’s business, including the risks and uncertainties detailed in bluebird’s prior filings with the SEC, including under the heading “Risk Factors” in bluebird’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC.
You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update these statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, except as required by law.
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Investors & Media Contacts
Bluebird
Investors:
Courtney O’Leary
978-621-7347
coleary@bluebirdbio.com
Media:
Jess Rowlands
857-299-6103
jess.rowlands@bluebirdbio.com
Media:
Brittany Berliner
+1 (212) 813-4839
brittany.berliner@carlyle.com
SK Capital
Ben Dillon
+1(646)-278-1353
bdillon@skcapitalpartners.com
Source: bluebird bio, Inc.
