The Hail Mary pass by Syros Pharmaceuticals Inc. – shares of which have dwindled severely since Jan. 3 – foreseen by some on Wall Street, came in the form of a $130 million financing and the merger with Tyme Technologies Inc., bringing in-house pipeline assets as well as net cash in a deal that, after accounting for wind-down and transaction expenses, is worth about $60 million.
To build on its hematology pipeline in treating blood cancers, Astrazeneca plc is acquiring Teneotwo Inc. in a deal that could reach $1.27 billion. Teneotwo is part of Ancora Biotech LLC, which has some other affiliate Tens in the stable, including Teneofour Inc. That company is developing TNB-738, an anti-CD38 enzyme inhibitor. Teneoten Inc. is developing an anti-HBV/CD3 therapy. Both are available for partnering or sale, Ben Buelow, Ancora co-founder, told BioWorld. He co-founded the company with this father, Roland.
More than five years after agreeing to collaborate in a deal that had the potential to top $1 billion, Akebia Therapeutics Inc. executed an agreement to terminate its troubled partnership to develop vadadustat with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. Otsuka will pay Akebia a $55 million settlement fee.
Shanghai Henlius Biotech Inc. has inked a deal to acquire greater China rights for two cancer-focused bifunctional sialidase programs from Palleon Pharmaceuticals Inc. In return, Palleon will receive an unspecified up-front payment and is eligible for up to $196.5 million in milestone payments.
Sunshine Guojian Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has granted Xiling Lab Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. global rights to develop and commercialize the trastuzumab biosimilar Cipterbin (inetetamab) for antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) in a ¥1.03 billion (US$153 million) deal.
Pfizer Inc. and Biontech SE have signed a deal with the U.S. government to supply up to 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in a deal worth more than $3.2 billion. Depending on the U.S. FDA, the vaccine doses fulfilling the order may include the companies’ omicron-adapted candidate, which they reported June 25 demonstrated a high immune response against the omicron BA.1 subvariant of SARS-CoV-2, when given as a fourth booster.
London-based Invox Pharma Ltd. has announced plans to acquire F-star Therapeutics Inc. for $161 million to build up the presence of its parent company, Sino Biopharm Ltd., outside of China.
Armed with compelling phase IIb data and with two phase III trials underway, Newamsterdam Pharma BV has sealed a European commercialization deal worth more than €1 billion (US$1.6 billion) with Menarini Group for its cholesterol lowering drug, obicetrapib.
Astellas Pharma Inc. and Sutro Biopharma Inc. signed an exclusive global licensing deal under which Sutro will develop immunostimulatory antibody-drug conjugates (iADCs) for three biological targets for Astellas.
After its $247 million acquisition of Epizyme Inc., Ipsen SA will continue to shop for M&A prospects, said Ipsen CEO David Loew, noting that “the [company’s] firepower has not been absorbed in a significant fashion by this deal,” and the firm might undertake a larger transaction next time in oncology, rare diseases, or neurology.