All Brands Owned by EKR Therapeutics, Inc.

Does EKR Therapeutics still exist?
No. EKR Therapeutics was acquired by Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc. in June 2012 and became a wholly-owned subsidiary. Cornerstone was subsequently acquired by Chiesi Farmaceutici in 2014 and rebranded as Chiesi USA, Inc. EKR Therapeutics no longer operates as an independent entity. The Retavase trademark that EKR acquired in 2008 is now held by Chiesi USA.

What products did EKR Therapeutics own?
EKR Therapeutics owned two hospital pharmaceutical products acquired from PDL BioPharma in February 2008: Retavase (reteplase), a thrombolytic agent for acute myocardial infarction, and Cardene IV (nicardipine hydrochloride), an intravenous antihypertensive. Both products were used in acute-care hospital settings.

When was EKR Therapeutics founded?
EKR Therapeutics was founded around 2005 to 2006. Different sources provide slightly different founding years, with CB Insights and Preqin listing 2006, while Mergr and Purdue University's CDEK database list 2005. The company was headquartered in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Who acquired EKR Therapeutics?
Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: CRTX) acquired EKR Therapeutics in June 2012 for approximately 125 million USD in initial cash, plus contingent milestone payments related to regulatory approval of a new Retavase manufacturing supplier and sales targets. Cornerstone was a publicly traded specialty pharmaceutical company whose largest shareholder was Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A.

What happened to Retavase after EKR was acquired?
Retavase passed from EKR to Cornerstone Therapeutics in 2012, then to Chiesi USA in 2014 when Chiesi Farmaceutici acquired Cornerstone. Retavase is currently a registered trademark of Chiesi USA, Inc. The prescribing information was last revised in September 2024, and the FDA NDC directory lists the product codes as discontinued by the firm as of September 2024.

Was EKR Therapeutics publicly traded?
No. EKR Therapeutics was a privately held company throughout its existence. It did not file periodic reports with the SEC and did not have publicly traded shares. The company was acquired by Cornerstone Therapeutics, which was publicly traded on NASDAQ under the ticker CRTX before being taken private by Chiesi Farmaceutici in 2014.