Ultragenyx Agrees to Sell Priority Review Voucher for $210 Million

Rare Daily Staff

Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical has agreed to sell a rare pediatric disease priority review voucher for $210 million, a deal the company says will help fund the development of treatments for rare genetic diseases and support its efforts to reach profitability.

The company announced the agreement but did not disclose the buyer. Ultragenyx received the voucher when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Genglycos, its treatment for glycogen storage disease type Ia, or GSDIa. Genglycos is the first treatment designed to address the underlying cause of the disease.

The FDA’s rare pediatric disease priority review voucher program provides an incentive for companies to develop treatments for certain rare diseases affecting children. A company that receives a voucher following an eligible drug approval can use it to obtain priority review of a subsequent marketing application for a different product or sell or transfer it to another company.

“Monetizing this PRV provides significant non-dilutive capital to advance our efforts to bring forward first-ever therapies for rare and ultra-rare diseases, and supports our path to profitability,” said Howard Horn, Ultragenyx’s CFO and executive vice president of corporate strategy.

Ultragenyx did not specify how it would allocate the proceeds among its development programs.

The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions.