Ropes & Gray Represents Takeda Pharmaceutical Company in License and Option to Acquire Agreement with Natrogen

A multidisciplinary Ropes & Gray team represented Takeda Pharmaceuticals in an innovative transaction with Natrogen Therapeutics in which Takeda received an exclusive license to develop Natrogen’s Natura-alpha compound for worldwide development, coupled with an option to acquire Natrogen in the future. Under the terms of the license agreement and the option agreement and plan of merger, Natrogen received an up-front license payment and the right to potential future payments upon the exercise of Takeda’s option to acquire the company. These future payments include a payment upon closing of an acquisition and potential post-closing contingent payments upon achievement of certain regulatory and sales milestones. 

The Ropes & Gray team was led by life sciences partner Steven Wilcox and included IP transactions partner David McIntosh, business restructuring partner James Wilton, tax partner Eric Elfman, FDA regulatory partner Al Cacozza, and benefits partners Jonathan Zorn and Peter Rosenberg.