SK Biopharm strikes $800m deal for epilepsy drug from Biohaven

SK Biopharmaceuticals is staking nearly $800 million on rights to an epilepsy treatment from US biotech firm Biohaven, the company said Wednesday.

In a regulatory filing, the South Korean drugmaker said it struck an exclusive licensing deal worth up to $795 million with Biohaven Bioscience Ireland Limited for the epilepsy drug candidate opakalim (BHV-7000), along with other Kv7 potassium channel openers and Biohaven's Kv7 Discovery Platform.

Opakalim is an investigational treatment for partial-o