Pfizer to Buy Vicuron for $1.9 Billion

New York based Pfizer inc. on Thursday agreed to buy Vicuron Pharmaceuticals Inc., a development-stage biotechnology company for $ 1.9 billlion in cash.

Vicuron is dedicated to novel anti-infectives for both hospital based and community acquired infections, and it will add two drugs used for fighting fungus and bacteria to the Pfizer product offering.

They are called Anidulafungin and Dalbavancin, and they are both currently under New Drug Application (NDA) at the FDA.

"By acquiring Vicuron, we can help bring two very important new medicines to patients around the world," said Pfizer chairman and CEO Hank McKinnell.

Pfizer expects to close the acquisition in the third quarter. The company’s shares were down 23 cents to $ 28.20 in trading before the opening bell.