When he first stepped into the field of glycoproteomics, particularly the potential of truncated O-glycans as cancer targets, Constantine Theodoropulos, CEO of Go Therapeutics Inc., said the reaction from peers was less than encouraging. “They said, ‘You’re nuts, it’s too complicated.’” Now, however, the company he co-founded has landed a deal with Astellas Pharma Inc.’s immuno-oncology-focused subsidiary, Xyphos Biosciences Inc., that brings $20.5 million up front, with the potential for up to $763 million in milestone and contingency payments down the road.
Glaxosmithkline plc (GSK) pledged $2.1 billion up front and as much as $1.2 billion in development milestone payments to take over privately held Affinivax Inc. and bring aboard the phase II-stage, next-generation, 24-valent pneumococcal vaccine candidate, AFX-3772. London-based GSK is buying all outstanding shares of Affinivax, of Cambridge, Mass., for $2.1 billion upon closing the deal in the third quarter of this year, and two potential milestone payments of $600 million to be paid if certain pediatric development goals are reached.
Advanced manufacturing company Linamar Corp. has created Linamar Medtech to leverage its skills in precision manufacturing in the medical device and components space. The new venture, which will operate as a separate division under the Linamar umbrella, builds on recent programs producing a range of products, including ventilator systems and parts, part of the COVID-19 pandemic response.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s private equity arm has agreed to buy a controlling stake in specialty pharma Norgine BV from the company’s founding Stein family. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Ai-Brainscience Inc. signed an exclusive sales agreement for Japan that will see Otsuka market Ai-Brainscience’s eye-tracking application to test for cognitive function. The eye-tracking app, AiBS-01, could become the first dementia diagnosis application to receive regulatory approval in Japan. Ibaraki, Japan-based Ai-Brainscience (AiBS) is developing devices that use the eye-tracking based cognitive assessment test to detect early dementia beyond the conventional assessment methods performed by specialists.
Turning Point Therapeutics Inc. has picked up near-global rights to develop and commercialize an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) targeting Claudin18.2 from Lanova Medicines Ltd. for $25 million up front. The deal excludes greater China and South Korea.
Futura Medical plc has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with over the counter (OTC) distributor Cooper Consumer Health SAS to commercialize its topical, gel-based erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment Med3000, in the U.K. and Europe. Under the terms of the agreement, Cooper will pay an undisclosed price to Futura to manufacture and supply the product for five years, in compliance with EU competition law.
Sidekick Health AB expanded its partnership with Pfizer Inc., adding an atopic dermatitis offering to its integrated digital therapeutics solution. The app will roll out first in the U.K., followed by Belgium, Norway, Netherlands, Sweden, France, Ireland and Japan this year.
Atara Biotherapeutics Inc. is keeping the faith and figuring out next steps with its next-generation, mesothelin-directed CAR T-cell therapies after Bayer AG ended their exclusive worldwide licensing agreement, signed in late 2020. The setup included funding and development of ATA-3271, an armored allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy, and an autologous version, ATA-2271, for high mesothelin-expressing tumors such as malignant pleural mesothelioma and non-small-cell lung cancer.
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