Foghorn Therapeutics Inc. is receiving $300 million up front in cash in its new collaboration with Loxo Oncology at Lilly to develop oncology medicines. Foghorn could bring in up to $1.3 billion in development and commercialization milestones. In addition, Lilly will invest $80 million in Foghorn.
Regor Therapeutics Group and Eli Lilly and Co. have inked a collaboration and licensing deal to co-develop therapies for metabolic disorders in a deal worth more than $1.5 billion. Under terms of the agreement, Lilly is gaining access to Regor IP to support its development of therapies for obesity and diabetes.
Pfizer Inc. is to buy Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. for $6.7 billion, adding a potential follow-up to inflammatory diseases pill Xeljanz (tofacitinib) to its pipeline plus several other potential medicines targeting gastroenterology, dermatology and cardiology.
Venus Medtech (Hangzhou) Inc. reported it has acquired 100% equity interest and corresponding equity in Cardiovalve Ltd. for $300 million. Or Yehuda, Israel-based Cardiovalve produces the Cardiovalve system, a transcatheter interventional replacement product for mitral or tricuspid regurgitation.
It was a busy year for biopharma deals, but as 2021 nears its end, activity is lagging 2020. BioWorld recorded 1,844 deals valued at $182 billion in 2021 vs. 2,067 deals valued at $198.2 billion for 2020. That puts 2021 behind last year on the volume of deals by more than 10% and on value by about 8%, but there are still three weeks to go.
Becton, Dickinson and Co. (BD) reported it acquired Tissuemed Ltd., maker of the self-adhesive Tissuepatch surgical sealant. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction is not expected to have a material impact on BD’s fiscal 2022 financial results. Tissuemed reported 2020 revenues of £2.6 million (US$3.44 million) up from £1.7 million (US$1.32 million) in 2019 in a filing made in November 2020. Net profit was £1.06 million (US$1.40 million) up from £851,000 (US$1.124 million). BD has been on a purchasing binge in recent years with more than a dozen tuck-ins since the start of 2020.
Cansino Biologics Inc. has entered a development and commercial supply partnership with Aerogen Ltd. for an inhalable version of its COVID-19 vaccine, Convidecia, also known as Ad5-nCoV. Cansino will combine Convidecia with Aerogen’s vibrating mesh aerosol drug delivery technology to produce a consistent droplet size for optimal lung deposition. The technology delivers up to six times more medication to the lungs compared to jet nebulizers. It also enables consistency and drug denaturing to improve efficacy. Cansino and Aerogen did not disclose the deal’s commercial terms.
Japan’s Astellas Pharma Inc. is continuing its investment in gene therapies, following up its $3 billion acquisition of Audentes Therapeutics Inc. with a technology licensing deal with Dyno Therapeutics Inc. potentially worth more than $1.6 billion. Central to the deal is Cambridge, Mass.-based Dyno’s adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector technology, which can be used to direct gene therapies to skeletal and cardiac muscle.
After struggling in the past year, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc. will collaborate with Astrazeneca plc to develop eplontersen for treating transthyretin amyloidosis, which is systemic, progressive and fatal. At stake for Ionis is $2.9 billion in potential sales-related milestone payments.
RSS
