Bridgebio Pharma Inc. is going back to the Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (BMS) well to restore its stalled momentum as the two companies have supercharged their July 2021 collaboration to develop an SHP2 inhibitor. Bridgebio could receive up to $905 million, including an up-front payment of $90 million plus $815 million in milestone and royalty payments, expected to be in the low- to midteens, in its new BMS collaboration to develop and commercialize BBP-398 in oncology.
Bone Therapeutics SA has entered an exclusive three-month discussion period with Medsenic SAS, which could culminate in a reverse merger. The potential transaction represents a lifeline for the troubled Belgian cell therapy developer, which is running out of cash and which has been more or less abandoned by its shareholders.
Beijing Zhifei Lvzhu Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has picked up rights to a whooping cough vaccine candidate from Intravacc B.V. on undisclosed terms. Zhifei Lvzhu gained exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the vaccine in China, as well as nonexclusive rights in Africa, South America, and selected Asian countries. In turn, Intravacc is eligible to receive milestone and up-front payments plus royalties on net sales of the vaccine, should it reach market.
Pfizer Inc. is taking over Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Co. Ltd. for $11.6 billion to bring aboard Nurtec ODT (rimegepant), the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist first approved in February 2020 for acute migraine in adults with or without aura.
Shares in Bavarian Nordic A/S fell sharply after its development partner Johnson & Johnson terminated collaboration and license agreements in hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human papillomavirus (HPV). Shares in the Danish company (OMX:BAVA) fell nearly 13% to DKK 115.75 (US$16.39) following the announcement. The partnerships, with J&J’s Janssen pharma unit, began with a $187 million tie-up in 2014, to develop an Ebola vaccine that is now approved in the EU. That led to an $171 million HPV vaccine research agreement in December 2015 and an $879 million deal covering HIV-1 and HBV research in 2017.
Juniper Biologics Pte. Ltd. has added another candidate to its pipeline in the space of less than a month. In the latest deal, the Singapore-based company inked an exclusive licensing agreement with Switzerland’s Helsinn Healthcare SA, gaining rights to develop and commercialize oncology drug infigratinib in Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and certain markets in the Middle East and Africa.
Little more than a month after selling a narcolepsy drug from its portfolio, Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc has replaced it with another. The company entered an exclusive development and commercialization rights agreement Sumitomo Pharma Co. Ltd.’s candidate for treating narcolepsy along with idiopathic hypersomnia and other sleep disorders. Sumitomo retains the rights for Japan, China and certain other Asia-Pacific countries and regions while Jazz gets the rights to everywhere else.
Intent on expanding both the reach and approved uses of its farnesoid X receptor agonist, Ocaliva (obeticholic acid), Intercept Pharmaceuticals Inc. is selling both its ex-U.S. operations and rights to the primary biliary cholangitis drug to U.K.-based Advanz Pharma Corp. Ltd. for $405 million up front. The deal, including an additional $45 million earnout tied to EU regulatory advances, represents an important step toward strengthening Intercept's balance sheet and options, said CEO and President Jerry Durso.
Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. has acquired greater China rights to oncology candidate NKT-2152 from Nikang Therapeutics Inc. in a deal worth up to $218 million. Jiangsu, China-based Hansoh picked up exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the candidate in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. In turn, Nikang is eligible to receive $15 million up-front cash payment, as well as up to $203 million in potential development, regulatory and sales-based milestone payments, and tiered royalties.
Privately held Amphista Therapeutics Ltd. has cut massive deals with two biopharma giants, Merck KGaA and Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (BMS), that together could bring the company up to $2.25 billion. The companies will use Amphista’s Eclipsys platform to generate protein degrader-based therapeutics. Merck is looking to discover and develop small-molecule protein degraders for treating cancer and immune disease. Indications in the BMS deal were not announced.
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