Japanese conglomerate Asahi Kasei Corp. said Thursday it has agreed to buy biopharmaceutical company Aicuris for €780 million ($920 million) cash to fuel the German company's research and development efforts, in a deal steered by Freshfields LLP and Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP.

Asahi Kasei will acquire Aicuris Anti-infective Cures AG through Veloxis, its U.S. pharmaceutical firm specializing in therapies for transplants. Asahi Kasei said the transaction is subject to "customary conditions."

Freshfields is advising Veloxis, working with its in-house legal team led by Noel Barnard and Tom Brady. The Freshfields team includes Christian Ruoff, Michael Ramb, Stephan Denk and Jil Rollmann.

Gibson Dunn is acting as legal adviser to Aicuris in the transaction, with a team that includes Dirk Oberbracht, Sonja Ruttmann, Ryan A. Murr, Aliresa Fatemi and Lars Petersen.

Aicuris focuses on drug candidates for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in people with weakened immune systems.

"Asahi Kasei's goal to address serious unmet needs in infectious diseases aligns with our mission to provide innovative antiviral therapies for immunocompromised patients," Aicuris chief executive Larry Edwards said. "Becoming part of Asahi Kasei will accelerate our research and development."

Aicuris has offices in Wuppertal, Germany, as well as a U.S. office in Massachusetts, according to its website.

Asahi Kasei, which has its head office in Tokyo, has three business divisions comprising healthcare, home and materials.

Its healthcare section includes pharmaceuticals, which covers areas such as therapeutic solutions in the fields of orthopedics and the immune system.

"This acquisition strengthens our position across interconnected therapeutic areas, including autoimmune diseases, transplantation, kidney disease, and severe infectious diseases," said Ken Shinomiya, head of Asahi Kasei's healthcare sector.

"It enhances our pipeline and reinforces our strategy to build a leading global specialty pharmaceutical company," Shinomiya said.

Asahi Kasei's home and materials divisions includes construction and car interior products, respectively.