Ironwood, NPS Pharma Tap Wall Street To Roll Out Lead Drugs
Summary
Cambridge, MA-based Ironwood and Bedminster, NJ-based NPS both priced public offerings of stock late Tuesday, planning to raise more than $200 million combined.NPS will continue its quest to become a global rare disease company, arming up to sell teduglutide (Gattex) on its own.Ironwood was formed in 1998 and burned through more than $500 million in cash before winning FDA approval in August to sell linaclotide (Linzess), an oral pill for chronic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome in adults, in the U.S. Ironwood and partner Forest Laboratories have high hopes for the drug and have staffed up to prove it.With the help of a first-year marketing budget up to $300 million, Ironwood hired 160 sales reps and the larger Forest has directed another 1,300 to help sell the drug to primary care physicians and gastroenterologists.The condition occurs after the partial or complete surgical removal of the intestine, usually due to cancer, trauma, or Crohn’s disease.