Bausch Health expands liver disease portfolio with DURECT Corp buy

30 July 2025

Shares of DURECT Corporation (Nasdaq: DRRX) shot up 240% to $1.88 by close of trading Tuesday, after Canada’s Bausch Health (NYSE: BHC) agreed to acquire the Cupertino, California-based liver drug developer for an upfront cash payment of $1.75 per share.

The buy will bring in a novel therapeutic molecule, larsucosterol, which can harness the power of epigenetic modulation. Larsucosterol, an endogenous sulfated oxysterol and an epigenetic modulator, has demonstrated promising results for the treatment of alcoholic hepatitis (AH) in Phase II trials. Bausch Health’s hepatology development and commercial capabilities are well-suited to support the clinical development and potential commercialization of larsucosterol.

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