Core Insights - Royalty Pharma has acquired a royalty interest in Amgen's Imdelltra for $885 million upfront, with an option for BeOne Medicines to sell additional royalties for up to $65 million within the next 12 months [1][2][3] - Imdelltra is a first-in-class bispecific T-cell engager targeting DLL3, aimed at treating extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), a disease with limited treatment options [2][6] - The transaction aligns with Royalty Pharma's strategy of acquiring royalties on transformative life sciences products, enhancing its long-term growth and portfolio diversification [2][3] Financial Details - Royalty Pharma will pay $885 million upfront for approximately 7% royalty on worldwide net sales of Imdelltra, with potential total payments up to $950 million [3] - BeOne retains the option to sell an additional portion of its royalty for up to $65 million within the next year [3] - Imdelltra sales reached $215 million in the first half of 2025, with projections to exceed $2.8 billion by 2035 based on analyst consensus [2] Market Context - Small cell lung cancer affects approximately 360,000 patients globally each year, with a poor prognosis and a five-year survival rate of only 7% for invasive disease [2] - Imdelltra received accelerated approval from the U.S. FDA in May 2024 for patients who have progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy [2]

Group 1 - Royalty Pharma's board of directors has approved a dividend of $0.22 per Class A ordinary share for Q3 2025, to be paid on September 10, 2025, to shareholders of record by August 15, 2025 [1] Group 2 - Royalty Pharma, founded in 1996, is the largest buyer of biopharmaceutical royalties and a key funder of innovation in the biopharmaceutical industry, collaborating with various entities from academic institutions to leading global pharmaceutical companies [2] - The company has a portfolio of royalties linked to over 35 commercial products, including notable therapies such as Vertex's Trikafta, GSK's Trelegy, and Roche's Evrysdi, among others [2] - Royalty Pharma funds innovation both directly by co-funding late-stage clinical trials and indirectly by acquiring existing royalties from original innovators [2]

Financial Performance and Guidance - Ligand's total revenue guidance for 2024 is $160-$165 million[21], with royalty revenue expected to be $105-108 million[22], representing a 27% increase from 2023[30] - The company anticipates adjusted EPS of $550-$570 in 2024[22], a 38% growth[30] - For 2025, Ligand forecasts total revenue of $180-$200 million[34], with royalty revenue growing by 30% over 2024[35] - Ligand projects royalty receipts to grow at a CAGR of 22% from 2024 to 2029[24, 40] Investment and Portfolio Activity - Ligand deployed $192 million across 8 different investments in 2024[21] - The company's Q4 pipeline includes over 30 actionable opportunities, representing over $1 billion of potential investments[61] - Ligand acquired Apeiron Biologics in July 2024 for approximately $100 million, gaining rights to Qarziba royalties[70] Key Products and Platforms - Ligand's Captisol platform is used in 16 approved products[99, 104] - Verona's Ohtuvayre, in which Ligand has royalty rights, achieved over $11 million in sales in the first 4 months following approval[75] - Travere's Filspari generated $356 million in Q3 2024, with 31% growth from Q2 2024[80] - Merck's Capvaxive, another royalty asset for Ligand, protects against strains that cause 84% of invasive pneumococcal disease[88]