Shionogi & Co, headquartered in Osaka, Japan, has agreed to acquire IntraBio, a biopharmaceutical company developing and commercialising therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.
IntraBio would become a wholly owned subsidiary of Shionogi Inc, a New Jersey, US-based subsidiary of Shionogi. The deal would add Aqneursa (levacetylleucine) and IntraBio’s capabilities in the rare disease area to Shionogi’s growing portfolio.
Aqneursa was approved by the FDA in September 2024 for neurological manifestations of Niemann-Pick disease Type C (NPC) in adults and paediatric patients and by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in January 2026.
It was approved by the FDA to treat Ataxia in adults and paediatric patients diagnosed with Ataxia-Telangiectasia (A-T) in September 2026. Aqneursa is currently under review by the EMA for adult and paediatric patients diagnosed with A-T.
Isao Teshirogi, CEO of Shionogi, said: “Bringing Aqneursa to Shionogi after our acquisition of Radicava will deepen our commitment to rare disease communities, expand our capabilities and strengthen our portfolio as we advance future innovation for patients with significant unmet needs.”
“This milestone gives us the opportunity to build on the meaningful foundation IntraBio has established with the Niemann-Pick Type C community and to deliver the first and only therapy for Ataxia-Telangiectasia to a community that has lived for many years without options to treat the diverse and debilitating symptoms caused by this disorder,” said Nathan McCutcheon, President and CEO of US-based Shionogi Inc. “In addition to Aqneursa, the capabilities and resources gained through this acquisition would help to accelerate the development of new treatment options.”
Shionogi would acquire global rights, including intellectual property and commercialisation rights, for Aqneursa, which is currently under review by the EMA for adult and paediatric patients diagnosed with A-T.
In addition, IntraBio’s rare disease expertise would strengthen Shionogi’s capabilities across its rare disease pipeline, including clinical programmes in Pompe disease, Fragile X syndrome and Jordan’s syndrome, as well as additional early-stage rare neurodegenerative disease programmes recently added to the pipeline.