Taiwan-based biopharmaceutical company PharmaEssentia Corporation (TWSE:6446) announced on Thursday the acquisition of Canadian specialty pharmaceutical company FORUS Therapeutics Inc for USD36.5m, advancing its North American commercial strategy and global expansion objectives.

PharmaEssentia entered into a commercial licensing agreement with FORUS for BESREMi (ropeginterferon alfa-2b) in Canada in 2024.

This acquisition brings established haematology and oncology infrastructure and regulatory capabilities in Canada.

FORUS submitted a New Drug Submission to Health Canada in July 2025 for ropeginterferon alfa-2b in polycythaemia vera, with approval expected in Q3 2026, and the company is preparing an additional submission for essential thrombocythaemia.

The deal enables full integration of Canadian regulatory, medical affairs, marketing, and commercial channels to support BESREMi and future portfolio assets, alongside potential synergies with FORUS's other partner, Karyopharm, and its lead asset XPOVIO.

FORUS has more than 25 years of haematology-oncology commercialisation experience, with a team previously active at Celgene, Roche, and Pfizer, and a track record of over 10 product launches generating more than CAD2bn in cumulative sales. FORUS CEO Kevin Leshuk spent 13 years at Celgene, where he established the Canadian subsidiary and built a haematology-oncology commercial organisation.