Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (a merger of Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Azur Pharma plc) is a biopharmaceutical company based in Ireland. It was founded in 2003. One of the company's considerable products is the

United States Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food s ...

(FDA) approved drug

Xyrem Sodium oxybate, sold under the brand name Xyrem among others, is a medication used to treat two symptoms of narcolepsy: sudden muscle weakness and excessive daytime sleepiness. It is used sometimes in France and Italy as an anesthetic given i ...

(sodium oxybate), the sodium salt of the naturally occurring

neurotransmitter A neurotransmitter is a signaling molecule secreted by a neuron to affect another cell across a synapse. The cell receiving the signal, any main body part or target cell, may be another neuron, but could also be a gland or muscle cell. Neuro ...

γ-Hydroxybutyric acid ''gamma''-Hydroxybutyric acid (or γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), also known as 4-hydroxybutanoic acid) is a naturally occurring neurotransmitter and a depressant drug. It is a precursor to GABA, glutamate, and glycine in certain brain areas. ...

(GHB). In 2017, net product sales of Xyrem were $1.187 billion, which represented 74% of the company's total net product sales. In 2019, Jazz was granted FDA-approval to market Sunosi with indications for treating excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in

narcolepsy Narcolepsy is a long-term neurological disorder that involves a decreased ability to regulate sleep–wake cycles. Symptoms often include periods of excessive daytime sleepiness and brief involuntary sleep episodes. About 70% of those affec ...

as well as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In 2022, it was announced that Axsome Therapeutics would be acquiring Sunosi from Jazz Pharmaceuticals In 2007, the company pled guilty to felony charges related to its illegal marketing of

for

off-label use Off-label use is the use of pharmaceutical drugs for an unapproved indication (medicine), indication or in an unapproved age group, dose (biochemistry), dosage, or route of administration. Both prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs (OTCs) ...

. The company is also a member of the

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA, pronounced ), formerly known as the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, is a trade group representing companies in the pharmaceutical industry in the United States. Founded in 195 ...

(PhRMA).

Company history and acquisitions

2010–2019

On 18 February 2010, the FDA accepted a new drug application for JZP-6 (

Sodium oxybate Sodium oxybate, sold under the brand name Xyrem among others, is a medication used to treat two symptoms of narcolepsy: sudden muscle weakness and excessive daytime sleepiness. It is used sometimes in France and Italy as an anesthetic given i ...

) for the treatment of

Fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia (FM) is a medical condition defined by the presence of chronic widespread pain, fatigue, waking unrefreshed, cognitive symptoms, lower abdominal pain or cramps, and depression. Other symptoms include insomnia and a general hyp ...

. In the following December, a new patent was issued for Sodium Oxybate. On September 19, 2011, Jazz Pharmaceuticals merged with Irish Azur Pharma plc to form Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc. The Azur Pharma seat in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

became the headquarters of the combined company. Azur Pharma had been marketing specialty pharmaceutical products in the

central nervous system The central nervous system (CNS) is the part of the nervous system consisting primarily of the brain and spinal cord. The CNS is so named because the brain integrates the received information and coordinates and influences the activity of all par ...

(CNS) and

women's health Women's health differs from that of men in many unique ways. Women's health is an example of population health, where health is defined by the World Health Organization as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not mer ...

areas with US operations in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. On 26 April 2012, the company acquired EUSA Pharma for $650 million (plus $50 million in milestone payments). In September, the company sold its Women's Health business to

Meda Meda may refer to: Places * Meda de Mouros, a parish in Tábua Municipality, Portugal * Medas, a parish in Gondomar Municipality, Portugal * Meda-Ela, Sri Lanka * Međa (Leskovac), village in the municipality of Leskovac, Serbia * Meda, Lombardy ...

for $95 million. In December, the company began clinical trial of intravenous

Erwinaze Asparaginase is an enzyme that is used as a medication and in food manufacturing. As a medication, L-asparaginase is used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL). It is given by intravenous, injection into a ...

in patients with

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a cancer of the lymphoid line of blood cells characterized by the development of large numbers of immature lymphocytes. Symptoms may include feeling tired, pale skin color, fever, easy bleeding or bruisin ...

. In January 2014, the company announced it would acquire the rare disease drug developer Gentium SpA and its lead product

Defitelio Defibrotide, sold under the brandname Defitelio, is a mixture of single-stranded oligonucleotides that is purified from the intestinal mucosa of pigs. It is used to treat veno-occlusive disease of the liver of people having had a bone marrow trans ...

for $1 billion. In May 2016, the company announced it would acquire Alizé Pharma II for $20.5 million. At the end of the same month, the company announced its largest acquisition to date, with the purchase of Celator Pharmaceuticals for $1.5 billion. As a result, Jazz obtained the rights to breakthrough therapy Vyxeos (liposomal daunorubicin and cytarabine) for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. In August 2019, the company announced it would acquire Cavion Inc. for up to ~$310 million.

2020–onwards

In January 2021, Jazz announced it would acquire

GW Pharmaceuticals GW Pharmaceuticals is a British pharmaceutics company known for its multiple sclerosis treatment product nabiximols (brand name, Sativex) which was the first natural cannabis plant derivative to gain market approval in any country. Another cannab ...

for $7.2 billion ($200.00 in cash and $20.00 in shares of Jazz).

Acquisition history

The following is an illustration of the company's mergers, acquisitions,

spin-offs Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...

and historical predecessors: *Jazz Pharmaceuticals **Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC ***Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Merged 2011) ***Azur Pharma PLC (Merged 2011) ** EUSA Pharma (Acq 2012) ** Gentium SpA (Acq 2014) ** Alizé Pharma II (Acq 2016) ** Celator Pharmaceuticals (Acq 2016) ** Cavion Inc. (Acq 2019) **

(Acq 2021)

References

{{authority control Biopharmaceutical companies Biotechnology companies of Ireland Biotechnology companies established in 2003 Pharmaceutical companies established in 2003 Pharmaceutical companies of Ireland Irish companies established in 2003 Manufacturing companies based in Dublin (city) Tax inversions Companies listed on the Nasdaq