BioMarin to Buy Rare Disease Drugmaker Amicus Therapeutics for $4.8B

BioMarin Pharmaceutical BMRN announced that it entered a definitive agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of Amicus Therapeutics FOLD for $14.50 per share in cash, totaling $4.8 billion.

The deal, approved by the board of directors of both companies, is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026. BioMarin intends to finance this transaction through a combination of its existing cash balance and $3.7 billion in non-convertible debt.

BMRN Sets Eyes on FOLD’s Rare Disease Portfolio

Post completion of this acquisition, BioMarin will add Amicus’ two marketed therapies, Galafold (for Fabry disease) and Pombiliti-Opfolda (a combination therapy for Pompe disease). Sales of both these drugs have been growing steadily. FOLD has generated combined sales of $449 million from both drugs in the first nine months of 2025, indicating 19% year-over-year growth at CER.

Alongside the acquisition news, BioMarin announced that Amicus resolved its patent litigations concerning Galafold with generic drugmakers Aurobindo Pharma and Lupin. FOLD entered separate agreements with each drug manufacturer, wherein it will grant licenses to market generic versions of Galafold in the United States starting on Jan. 30, 2037.

As part of this acquisition, BioMarin will also acquire exclusive U.S. rights to the late-stage pipeline drug DMX-200, which is being developed to treat a rare and fatal kidney disease called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

BMRN & FOLD Stock Performance

Following this news on Friday, shares of Amicus Therapeutics and BioMarin jumped 30% and 18%, respectively.

Year to date, shares of BMRN have lost 7%, while those of FOLD have risen nearly 51%. During the same timeframe, the industry has climbed 19%.

How Does FOLD Buyout Benefit BMRN?

In our opinion, the deal is a strategic fit for BioMarin, which already markets five first-in-disease enzyme therapies, namely Aldurazyme, Brineura, Naglazyme, Palynziq and Vimizim. The addition of Amicus’s two rare disease therapies to BioMarin’s Enzyme Therapies portfolio is expected to increase the company’s long-term CAGR through 2030 and further diversify its revenue stream.

While BioMarin did not provide the financial impact of this transaction on its adjusted EPS next year, it expects the transaction to be accretive to the bottom line as early as the first 12 months post-closure of this transaction.

This acquisition deal did not come as a complete surprise since BioMarin had previously highlighted that it was actively pursuing multiple partnership and acquisition opportunities, including late-stage and commercial assets. During its third-quarter conference call, management cited an estimated $4-$5 billion in total “firepower” available for future growth initiatives, supporting its disciplined capital allocation and business development strategy.

This is the second targeted acquisition by BioMarin this year. In July, the company acquired the clinical-stage company Inozyme Pharma for $270 million. Post this transaction, BMRN added a late-stage investigational enzyme replacement therapy called BMN 401 (formerly, INZ-701), which is being developed for several rare disorders, for which there are currently no approved therapies.

BMRN’s Zacks Rank

BioMarin currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. Price

 

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. price | BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. Quote

Key Picks Among Biotech Stocks

Some better-ranked stocks from the sector are CorMedix CRMD and ANI Pharmaceuticals ANIP. CRMD sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present and ANIP carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Estimates for CorMedix’s 2025 EPS have increased from $1.85 to $2.87 over the past 60 days, while the same for 2026 has increased from $2.49 to $2.88. CRMD shares have risen 48% year to date.

CorMedix’s earnings beat estimates in the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 27.04%.

In the past 60 days, estimates for ANI Pharmaceuticals’ 2025 earnings per share (EPS) have risen from $7.29 to $7.56. EPS estimates for 2026 have increased from $7.81 to $8.08 during the same period. Year to date, shares of ANIP have soared 50%.

ANIP’s earnings beat estimates in the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 21.24%.

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