Cycle Pharmaceuticals Reaffirms All-Cash Proposal to Acquire Vanda Pharmaceuticals for $8.00 Per Share
Vanda Board Intensifies Entrenchment Efforts with Recent Bylaw Amendments Despite Active Premium Proposal
Proposal Delivers Immediate, Compelling and Certain Cash Value for Vanda Shareholders with a Highly Attractive Premium of
Urges Vanda Shareholders to Express Their Views on the Proposal to the Independent Directors of the Vanda Board of Directors
Cycle’s proposal represents a
On September 23, 2024, Cycle delivered a letter to the Board of Directors of Vanda reiterating its interest in pursuing a transaction. On September 30, 2024, Vanda responded that the Vanda Board was reviewing the proposal, noting that they needed an additional two weeks to evaluate the proposal and respond. On October 3, 2024, despite the active premium proposal from Cycle, Vanda’s Board amended and restated its bylaws, which included further entrenching modifications related to both annual and special stockholder meetings and the nomination of directors, as well as the Vanda Board’s ability to postpone, reschedule or cancel any such meetings and restrict stockholder business or director nominees that can be made at such meetings. Two business days later, on October 7, 2024, the Vanda Board rejected Cycle’s proposal.
Cycle today issued the following statement:
“We are confident that our
Despite the significant value and highly attractive premium of our proposal, Vanda’s Board and management team have refused to engage with us to discuss its merits and instead, have continued to prioritize their own interests and self-preservation with egregious actions that blatantly disenfranchise Vanda shareholders. When Vanda requested an additional two weeks to review our proposal, we gave them the extension as requested, underscoring our continued flexibility and willingness to collaborate in creating the best outcome for Vanda shareholders. Unfortunately, instead of reviewing and responding to our proposal, Vanda held a Board meeting to update its bylaws to further entrench the Board, which included the addition of multiple procedural obstacles in the way of nominating directors, unilaterally adding a whole new layer of arbitrary rules to the detriment of Vanda shareholders, all while failing to disclose the
Even more concerning is Vanda’s failure to receive FDA clearance for tradipitant, whose prospects had been prominently cited in June by Vanda for its rejection of our initial offer. The rejection followed an unsuccessful Phase 3 clinical trial, where tradipitant didn’t reach its primary endpoint and performed no better than a placebo.
We urge Vanda shareholders to express their views on this proposal to the independent directors of the Vanda Board of Directors. We stand ready to work immediately with Vanda’s Board and management team to reach an agreement that would provide a compelling premium and certain cash value today for all Vanda shareholders.”
Cycle has substantial cash on hand, and both of Cycle’s financial advisors are highly confident that, following limited due diligence, committed financing will be put in place for the transaction. Cycle will obtain fully underwritten, binding commitment letters for any debt financing prior to signing a definitive merger agreement, which will not contain any financing contingency.
The full text of Cycle’s proposal delivered to Vanda’s Board on September 23, 2024 is below:
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. 2200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Suite 300E
September 23, 2024
Reaffirmed Non-Binding Proposal to Acquire Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: VNDA)
Dear Mihael Polymeropoulos - Vanda Pharmaceuticals President, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board, and Vanda Board of Directors:
Following the regulatory update and complete response letter ("CRL") received from the FDA with regards to the NDA of tradipitant, we are writing to reaffirm our continued interest in pursuing an acquisition of Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. ("Vanda" or the "Company"). We were disappointed in the Vanda board's rejection of our previously submitted preliminary non-binding indication of interest dated May 24, 2024 (the "May 24, 2024 Letter"), which would have yielded a very attractive outcome for Vanda shareholders. Since that time, Vanda's share price has not moved materially and with the price declining following issuance of the CRL, we reiterate that our unchanged offer is now even more attractive for shareholders. Having reviewed the implication of the CRL, which we had anticipated, we have concluded that this update does not impact our positive view of the Company and its potential value in combination with Cycle.
With the continued support of Cycle's management team, Board, and shareholders, we are pleased to re submit this letter ("Letter"), in addition to our previously submitted May 24, 2024 Letter summarizing our preliminary non-binding indication of interest (the "Indicative Offer") to acquire
We reaffirm our proposal, which remains subject to the pre-conditions set out in this Letter and the May 24, 2024 Letter, to make an offer to acquire
-
Fully diluted equity value of
$488m m -
Enterprise value of
$100m m -
A premium of approximately 74 per cent to the Vanda share price as at the close of business on September 20, 2024 of
per share, and an 11 per cent increase over the premium at the time of our May 24, 2024 Letter$4.61
Cycle's offer continues to represent a better outcome for i) shareholders, with an all-cash upfront offer, and ii) patients, as Cycle has an established track record of delivering medicines and individualized support to patients suffering from conditions with high unmet medical need.
This Purchase Price is based on publicly available information and our position remains the same as laid out in our May 24, 2024 Letter with respect to due diligence and access, approvals, financing and pathway to a definitive agreement.
We request that you provide a response to this Letter no later than September 30, 2024.
Very truly yours,
James Harrison
Cycle Group Holdings Limited CEO
About Cycle Pharmaceuticals
Cycle Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2012 with the sole aim of delivering drug treatments and product support to the underserved rare disease patient community, and the healthcare professionals and communities that support them.
Cycle focuses on rare metabolic, immunological, and neurological genetic conditions. Within neurological conditions, Cycle focuses on multiple sclerosis. Cycle’s
- NITYR® (nitisinone) Tablets (since 2017)
- SAJAZIR™ (icatibant) Injection (since 2021)
- JAVYGTOR™ (sapropterin dihydrochloride) Tablets and Powder (since 2022)
- TASCENSO ODT® (fingolimod) (since 2023)
- TIOPRONIN delayed-release tablets (since 2024)
- ORMALVI™ (dichlorphenamide) Tablets (since 2024)
Cycle achieved
Cycle is headquartered in
For more information, please visit www.cyclepharma.com and follow us on X, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Additional Information
The terms of this announcement are non-binding and intended solely to provide the basis on which Cycle is presently willing to negotiate definitive transaction documentation in respect of the proposal, and are not intended to, and should not be deemed or construed to, create or constitute any sort of binding offer, commitment, right or obligation on the part of Cycle, Vanda, Vanda’s shareholders, or their respective affiliates. Any such offer, commitment, right or obligation will come into existence only by the execution and delivery of binding definitive transaction documentation by the parties setting forth the terms and conditions of such offer, right, commitment or obligation, and will be subject in each case to the satisfaction or waiver of all applicable conditions. The failure for any reason to execute and deliver the definitive transaction documentation or consummate the proposal will impose no liability on any party hereto or their respective affiliates.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241014362010/en/
Tanner Kaufman / Kyla MacLennan
FTI Consulting
tanner.kaufman@fticonsulting.com / kyla.maclennan@fticonsulting.com
Ben Atwell / Simon Conway
FTI Consulting
ben.atwell@fticonsulting.com / simon.conway@fticonsulting.com
Source: Cycle Pharmaceuticals