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.

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.

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.

In a deal that could bring Arvinas Inc. a potential $2.4 billion, the company will collaborate with Pfizer Inc. to develop and commercialize an oral estrogen receptor protein degrader. In addition to a potential $400 million in approval milestones and a possible $1 billion in commercial milestones, Arvinas will be paid $650 million up front by Pfizer, which will also make an equity investment of $350 million in Arvinas while receiving about 3.5 million newly issued Arvinas common stock shares. With the deal, Pfizer will have a 7% equity share in Arvinas. The two plan to equally divide development and commercialization costs as well as any profits.