Just weeks after announcing plans to invest billions in an mRNA therapeutics research center, Sanofi SA has acquired Translate Bio Inc. for $3.2 billion, building on a development partnership focused around the technology.
Fresh off licensing a potential Parkinson’s disease therapy last month, Ipsen SA is again looking to build out its neurodegenerative disease portfolio, this time in Huntington’s disease and Angelman syndrome. An exclusive options deal with Exicure Inc. could bring it two new spherical nucleic acid (SNA) programs for the indications while delivering up to $1 billion for Exicure, plus potential royalties, on top of a $20 million up-front payment. The deal, Exicure's second major SNA collaboration after a hair-loss disorders deal with Abbvie Inc.’s Allergan, sent Exicure shares (NASDAQ:XCUR) up 34.1% to $1.81 on Aug. 2.
Minovia Therapeutics Ltd. will collaborate with Astellas Pharma Inc. to research, develop and commercialize cell therapy programs for treating diseases brought on by mitochondrial dysfunction. The candidates will come from Astellas’ genetically engineered, induced pluripotent stem cells. Haifa, Israel-based Minovia will receive $20 million in cash up front.
Peptidream Inc., fresh off expanding a multibillion-dollar research and license agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. earlier this week, has inked a brand new deal with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. Valued at up to $2.2 billion, including milestones, the new deal is aimed at the discovery and development of peptide-siRNA conjugates for the delivery of therapies to a wide range of cell types and tissues beyond the liver, the central target of Alnylam's marketed products to date.
Eli Lilly and Co. has established a multiyear collaboration with Kumquat Biosciences Inc. for the discovery, development and commercialization of new small molecules for stimulating tumor-specific immune responses. Kumquat will receive $70 million up front, including an equity investment, and is eligible for more than $2 billion in potential milestone payments plus royalties on any marketed products.
Amgen Inc. will pay $900 million in cash to acquire privately held Teneobio Inc. In exchange for the cash, Amgen gets all of Teneobio’s outstanding shares, which could end up paying out quite a bit as contingent milestone payments to Teneobio’s equity holders could be worth up to $1.6 billion.
In a deal that could be worth up to $565 million, Simcere Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. licensed in glutaminyl cyclase inhibitor varoglutamstat (PQ-912) and monoclonal N3pE-antibody PBD-C06, which target the neurotoxic amyloid species N3pE (pGlu-Abeta), from Vivoryon Therapeutics AG to develop and commercialize for Alzheimer’s disease in greater China.
Organon & Co. will license exclusive global development, manufacturing and commercial rights to ebopiprant (OBE-022) from Obseva SA. Ebopiprant is a prostaglandin F2α receptor antagonist being developed for treating preterm labor by reducing inflammation and uterine contractions. Obseva could receive tiered double-digit royalties on commercial sales and as much as $500 million in up-front and milestone payments, including $25 million to be paid at signing, up to $90 million in development and regulatory milestones and up to $385 million in sales-based milestones.
While 2020 was clearly a busier year for grants and nonprofit deals with biopharma companies, pandemic efforts continue to drive the activity in these two areas. Through mid-July, there have been 204 grants valued at $1.75 billion, and 516 bio/nonprofit deals worth more than $8 billion, up from $4.66 billion only a month ago.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had previously reported it would more tightly scrutinize mergers and acquisitions with an eye toward the impact on competition, and voted July 21 to expand its authority to review these activities. The agency also voted to eliminate restrictions by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) on servicing of their devices, thus putting both drug and device makers on alert that much more rigorous FTC enforcement has arrived.
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