Sanofi SA is paying about $1 billion up front and pledging as much as $225 million in development milestone payments to acquire Amunix Pharmaceuticals Inc. in an arrangement that brings aboard several immuno-oncology platforms. South San Francisco-based Amunix’s lead candidate is the clinic-bound, masked T-cell engager (TCE) AMX-818, which targets HER2-expressing solid tumors. The candidate emerged from the company’s XPAT technology, designed with the longstanding XTEN and centered on a protein polymer in a strategy similar to pegylation, except with a polypeptide. XPAT stands for XTENylated, protease-activated TCEs.
Obi Pharma Inc. has acquired global rights to BSI-04702, an anti-trophoblast antigen 2 (Trop2) humanized monoclonal antibody (MAb), from Biosion Inc. Obi is granted exclusive rights for further preclinical and clinical development, registration and commercialization of the candidate as an antibody-drug conjugate and other derivative products.
PERTH, Australia – It’s been a year that Mesoblast Ltd. might like to forget. The company’s stock dropped 17% Dec. 15 on the news that Novartis AG will terminate its licensing agreement with Mesoblast for remestemcel-L.
Qilu Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. licensed rights to AB-729, an RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic from Arbutus Biopharma Corp., in a deal worth up to $300 million. Qilu obtained rights to develop and commercialize the phase II asset for the treatment of hepatitis B (HBV) in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Under terms of the agreement, Qilu will pay Arbutus $40 million up front, as well as up to $245 million in development, regulatory and sales milestones. In addition, Qilu will make a $15 million equity investment in Arbutus at a price of $4.19 per share.
Novartis AG has forged even stronger links with Beigene Ltd., taking an option on the latter’s late-stage TIGIT inhibitor cancer immunotherapy ociperlimab in a deal worth up to $1 billion.
What one analyst called “fantastic external validation but, even more importantly, great for the cell therapy and regenerative medicine space” arrived in the form of Lineage Cell Therapeutics Inc.’s potential $670 million deal with Roche Holding AG. With its subsidiary, Cell Cure Neurosciences Ltd., Lineage signed an exclusive worldwide collaboration and license pact with Roche and its Genentech arm.
Novartis AG has forged even stronger links with Beigene Ltd., taking an option on the latter’s late-stage TIGIT inhibitor cancer immunotherapy ociperlimab in a deal worth up to $1 billion. Basel, Switzerland-based Novartis will pay the Beijing-based pharma $300 million up front in the option, collaboration and license agreement plus up to $700 million if it exercises its option before late 2023.
Although 2021 med-tech deal volume is 13% higher than last year, the deals represent less than half the value recorded in 2020. The industry has completed 1,576 deals, including licensings, collaborations and joint ventures, through mid-December of 2021. They are valued at $2.13 billion. A total of 573 M&As, on the other hand, have reached $144.75 billion, a 282% rise over 2020.
Genfit SA’s global development and commercialization deal with Ipsen Pharma SA for phase III-stage elafibranor in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) – plus a separate arrangement for rights to an asset earlier in development from Genoscience Pharma SA – represent “the logical next steps in the implementation of a strategy that we outlined to you about 18 months ago,” Genfit CEO Pascal Prigent said during a conference call with investors.
Qilu Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. licensed rights to AB-729, an RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic from Arbutus Biopharma Corp., in a deal worth up to $300 million. Qilu obtained rights to develop and commercialize the phase II asset for the treatment of hepatitis B (HBV) in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Under terms of the agreement, Qilu will pay Arbutus $40 million up front, as well as up to $245 million in development, regulatory and sales milestones. In addition, Qilu will make a $15 million equity investment in Arbutus at a price of $4.19 per share.