As it faces pressure from upcoming patent expirations and generic competition, Lundbeck has agreed to acquire Alder BioPharmaceuticals to diversify its CNS franchise. The deal, worth up to US$1.95 B, gives Lundbeck access to eptinezumab, a calcitonin gene-related peptide(CGRP) inhibitor for the prevention of migraine which could gain US approval in February 2020. If granted, eptinezumab will be the first quarterly anti-CGRP infusion therapy for migraine prevention compared to the monthly dosing schedule for its rivals such as Amgen/Novartis’ Aimovig® (erenumab-aooe), Teva’s Ajovy® (fremanezumab-vfrm), and Eli Lilly’s Emgality® (galcanezumab-gnlm).