SEAL BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dendreon Pharmaceuticals LLC (“Dendreon”) today announced the close of a transaction in which Sanpower Group, a private Chinese conglomerate, acquired Dendreon from an affiliate of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. for $819.9 million in cash.

In 2010, Provenge was approved by the FDA, the first approved prostate cancer treatment that functions by enhancing the immune system.  Over the last couple ofyears Provenge has been gaining popularity with oncologists and urologists as well as with patients. What has been surprising to me is how slowly doctors and patients have warmed up to the idea of using the immune system to fight prostate cancer. For years my patients have been taking handfuls of Graviola, Shitaki mushrooms, Pau de Arco and Esiac tea because of unsubstantiated claims of immune enhancement. Yet, when the FDA approved an effective immune treatment that prolongs life I was surprised that my patients needed to be convinced to use it.