Jazz Pharma to acquire Actio Biosciences for $820M, adding KCNT1+ epilepsy drug to its pipeline

Jazz Pharmaceuticals announced it will purchase Actio Biosciences for an upfront payment of $820 million, expanding its portfolio of epilepsy medicines.

The deal brings Actio’s lead candidate, ABS-1230, a small‑molecule that targets the KCNT1 ion channel, into Jazz’s pipeline. Early proof‑of‑concept data in children with KCNT1‑positive epilepsy showed meaningful seizure reductions.

KCNT1‑positive epilepsy is a rare genetic developmental and epileptic encephalopathy affecting about 2,500 people in the United States, with most patients experiencing severe, medication‑resistant seizures from infancy.

Actio has already started a phase 1b/2a trial of ABS‑1230, which could support future FDA approval. The acquisition adds a precision‑medicine option for a condition that currently has no approved therapies.