Fortress Biotech Announces Closing of Sale of Subsidiary Checkpoint Therapeutics
May 30 2025 - 10:47AM
Fortress Biotech, Inc. (Nasdaq: FBIO) (“Fortress”), an innovative
biopharmaceutical company focused on acquiring and advancing assets
to enhance long-term value for shareholders through product
revenue, equity holdings and dividend and royalty revenue, today
announced that its subsidiary, Checkpoint Therapeutics, Inc.
(“Checkpoint”), has been acquired by Sun Pharmaceutical Industries
Limited (together with its subsidiaries and/or associated
companies, “Sun Pharma”). The transaction closed on May 30, 2025,
following the approval by requisite majorities of holders of
Checkpoint’s shares at a special meeting of Checkpoint’s
stockholders on May 28, 2025.
“We are thrilled that our Fortress-founded
subsidiary, Checkpoint, closed an exciting deal with Sun Pharma
that expedites patient access to FDA approved UNLOXCYT™
(cosibelimab-ipdl) through their established global commercial
organization. This transaction is also another successful milestone
for Fortress, as we will receive approximately $28 million shortly
after closing and are eligible for a 2.5% royalty on net sales of
UNLOXCYT, and up to an additional $4.8 million if the contingent
value right (CVR) is achieved. This transaction demonstrates how we
continue to strengthen our balance sheet through opportunistic
transactions that generate shareholder value. We aim to acquire and
advance assets to their full potential, and our business model is
fundamentally designed to generate long-term cash flow through
product revenue, equity holdings and dividend and royalty revenue,"
said Lindsay A. Rosenwald, M.D., Fortress’ Chairman, President and
Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to our next exciting
milestone at one of our other majority-owned subsidiaries, Cyprium
Therapeutics, which is the September 30, 2025 Prescription Drug
User Fee Act (“PDUFA”) goal date for CUTX-101. If CUTX-101 is
approved by the FDA, Cyprium may be eligible to receive a
Priority Review Voucher. We are also focused on evaluating business
development opportunities and the advancement of our robust
pipeline of compelling product candidates at Fortress along with
our partner companies and subsidiaries.”
In March 2025, Fortress’ subsidiary Checkpoint
entered into an agreement to be acquired by Sun Pharma. Upon
completion of the transaction, Sun Pharma acquired all outstanding
shares of Checkpoint for $4.10 per share in cash and a
non-transferable CVR entitling the stockholder to receive up to an
additional $0.70 in cash if cosibelimab is approved prior to
certain deadlines in the European Union pursuant to the centralized
approval procedure or in Germany, France, Italy, Spain or the
United Kingdom, subject to the terms and conditions in the CVR
agreement.
In December 2024, Checkpoint received FDA
approval for UNLOXCYT which is the first and only FDA-approved
programmed death ligand-1 (“PD-L1”) blocking antibody for advanced
cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
About Fortress Biotech Fortress
Biotech, Inc. (“Fortress”) is an innovative biopharmaceutical
company focused on acquiring and advancing assets to enhance
long-term value for shareholders through product revenue, equity
holdings and dividend and royalty revenue. The company has eight
marketed prescription pharmaceutical products and multiple programs
in development at Fortress, at its majority-owned and
majority-controlled partners and subsidiaries and at partners and
subsidiaries it founded and in which it holds significant minority
ownership positions. Fortress’ portfolio is being commercialized
and developed for various therapeutic areas including oncology,
dermatology, and rare diseases. Fortress’ model is focused on
leveraging its significant biopharmaceutical industry expertise and
network to further expand and advance the company’s portfolio of
product opportunities. Fortress has established partnerships with
some of the world’s leading academic research institutions and
biopharmaceutical companies to maximize each opportunity to its
full potential, including AstraZeneca, City of Hope, Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Center, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and
Sentynl. For more information, visit www.fortressbiotech.com.
Forward-Looking
StatementsStatements in this press release that are not
descriptions of historical facts are “forward-looking statements”
within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The
words “anticipates,” “believes,” “can,” “continue,” “could,”
“estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plans,”
“potential,” “predicts,” “should,” or “will” or the negative of
these terms or other comparable terminology are generally intended
to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements are based on management’s current expectations and are
subject to risks and uncertainties that could negatively affect our
business, operating results, financial condition and stock price.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those currently anticipated include risks relating to: our growth
strategy, financing and strategic agreements and relationships; our
need for substantial additional funds and uncertainties relating to
financings; our ability to realize any royalty or other
milestone-based payments in the time frame expected, or at all; our
ability to identify, acquire, close and integrate product
candidates successfully and on a timely basis; our ability to
attract, integrate and retain key personnel; the early stage of
products under development; the results of research and development
activities; uncertainties relating to preclinical and clinical
testing; our ability to obtain regulatory approval for products
under development; our ability to successfully commercialize
products for which we receive regulatory approval or receive
royalties or other distributions from third parties; our ability to
secure and maintain third-party manufacturing, marketing and
distribution of our and our partner companies’ products and product
candidates; government regulation; patent and intellectual property
matters; competition; as well as other risks described in our SEC
filings. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to
release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking
statements contained herein to reflect any change in our
expectations or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances
on which any such statement is based, except as may be required by
law, and we claim the protection of the safe harbor for
forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The information contained herein is
intended to be reviewed in its totality, and any stipulations,
conditions or provisos that apply to a given piece of information
in one part of this press release should be read as applying
mutatis mutandis to every other instance of such information
appearing herein.
Company Contact:Jaclyn JaffeFortress Biotech,
Inc.(781) 652-4500ir@fortressbiotech.com
Media Relations Contact:Tony Plohoros6
Degrees(908) 591-2839tplohoros@6degreespr.com
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