DUBLIN – Novartis AG is making a $9.7 billion bet that the economics of an siRNA-based drug can better those of monoclonal antibodies and thus provide it with a dominant position in a major but still emerging cardiovascular drug market. The Basel, Switzerland-based pharma made an $85 per share offer for The Medicines Co., which has taken inclisiran, an siRNA-based inhibitor of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) to the brink of an approval in reducing the risk of a cardiovascular event – heart attack or stroke – in high-risk patients with cardiovascular disease or high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) who are inadequately controlled on current therapies.

Harpoon Therapeutics Inc. and Abbvie Inc. have cut their second deal in little more than two years as they embark upon an exclusive worldwide option and license transaction for HPN-217, Harpoon’s B-cell maturation antigen T-cell engagers targeting solid tumors and hematologic malignancies.

London-based Livanova plc is exiting its Caisson transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) program as it looks to restructure its heart valve business. According to the company, the heart valve business line represented nearly $130 million in revenue for full-year 2018 and experienced a revenue decline over the last five years. It attributed the declines to multiple market conditions.

Roughly two and half years after it picked up Cynosure, Hologic Inc., of Marlborough, Mass., has reported its intention to sell it to private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) for a total purchase price of $205 million in cash, subject to certain closing adjustments. The company expects net cash proceeds of about $138 million. CD&R Partner Derek Strum expressed enthusiasm about the deal, noting that his firm expects “to continue to invest behind the company's strong brand and large global installed base to accelerate growth via expanded sales & marketing efforts and bring new products and technologies to market[.]”