A Dechert LLP Franco-American team led by Alain Decombe and Anne-Charlotte Rivière advised the shareholders of Trophos, a French privately held biotechnology company, in its buy back by Roche Group, a Swiss global health-care company. Roche, looking to expand their research of neuromuscular diseases, sought Trophos’s recent developments in the production of Olesoxime, an investigational medicine used as treatment for patients with spinal muscular atrophy. Under the agreement, Roche acquires 100% shares of Trophos for a total amount of 470 million euros of which 120 million euros will be paid at the outset and 350 million additional euros will be paid based on the attainment of prearranged milestones.

According to Alain Decombe, “this acquisition confirms France’s strong position in innovation in the pharmaceutical field. Dechert, a leader in Life Sciences sector, is pleased to have accompanied the venture capital funds shareholders of Trophos in this operation, as the law firm daily works on all the operations of liquidity whether it is IPOs, license agreements or sales.”

Trophos, founded in 1999 in France, is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing innovative therapeutics for indications with under-served medical needs.

Roche, headquartered in Switzerland, is a leader in research-focused healthcare with combined strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is the world’s largest biotech company with differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and neuroscience.

The shareholders of Trophos were advised by Dechert's team led by partner Alain Decombe and associate Anne-Charlotte Rivière on all matters relating to corporate/M&A, intellectual property, and health and competition law.

Roche was advised by Norton Rose Fullbright attorneys Stéphane Sabatier and Eric Dibout.