Amgen Inc has reached an agreement with Celgene Corp to buy its psoriasis asset Otezla (apremilast) for $13.4 billion in cash, thus enabling Celgene to proceed with its previously announced merger with Bristol-Myers Squib Company. The merger, announced in early January, will combine the oncology and inflammation franchises of BMS and Celgene. But US regulators had raised questions about the two companies’ potential dominance in the area of psoriasis. The asset disposal is expected to satisfy these concerns.
