Ropes & Gray Advised Chiesi in $1.9 Billion KalVista Acquisition

Ropes & Gray represented Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. in an agreement to acquire KalVista Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for $27 per share in cash, a transaction valued at approximately $1.9 billion. The agreement was announced on April 29.

Chiesi is a research-oriented international biopharmaceutical group that develops and markets innovative therapeutic solutions in respiratory health, rare diseases, and specialty care. The company’s mission is to improve people’s quality of life and act responsibly towards both the community and the environment. Chiesi is a certified B Corp.

KalVista is a global pharmaceutical company dedicated to delivering life-changing oral therapies for individuals affected by rare diseases with significant unmet needs. The KalVista team discovered and developed sebetralstat—the first oral on-demand treatment for hereditary angioedema (HAE), a disease that causes painful swelling—and continues to work closely with the global HAE community to improve treatment and care for this disease around the world.

The team was led by M&A partner Zach Blume and included IP transactions partner Melissa Rones, executive compensation & employee benefits partner Renata Ferrari, and tax partner David Saltzman.