Seagen Inc. and Remegen Co. Ltd. will collaborate to exclusively develop and commercialize disitamab vedotin, a humanized antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting HER2, giving Remegen the chance to earn up to $2.4 billion in total milestone payments.
Eqrx Inc., a startup co-founded by serial biotech entrepreneur and investor Alexis Borisy to deliver new medicines for cancer and other conditions at "radically lower prices," is poised to raise up to $1.8 billion via a merger with the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) CM Life Sciences III Inc. The transaction, which would bring Eqrx to Nasdaq, includes a fully committed and upsized PIPE of $1.2 billion led by Softbank Group's SB Management Ltd. as well as SPAC sponsors Casdin Capital LLC and Corvex Management LP, plus $550 million of cash and trust held by the SPAC itself.
Medtronic plc reported it will acquire Intersect ENT, a deal that represents a major expansion of Medtronic’s footprint in the ear/nose/throat (ENT) space. Intersect’s products for chronic rhinosinusitis will give Medtronic access to a medical market said to be among the top 10 most expensive conditions for employers, with a potential patient population of 35 million in the U.S. alone.
Sierra Oncology Inc. has swooped in on an early stage BET inhibitor from Astrazeneca plc, paying just $8 million up front for the myelofibrosis drug – a price that raises questions about the $1.7 billion Morphosys AG stumped up to buy Constellation Pharmaceuticals and its class rival.
A little over a month after Versant Ventures-back Vividion Therapeutics Inc. filed to raise $100 million in an IPO, Bayer AG is paying $1.5 billion up front, with the promise of $500 million more in milestone payments, to take over the firm and its small-molecule precision oncology and immunology platform.
Schrödinger Inc. has paired up with Zai Lab Ltd. to collaborate on an oncology program targeting DNA damage response (DDR) in a deal that could net Schrödinger up to $338 million.
Burning Rock Biotech Ltd. has formed a global strategic partnership with Impact Therapeutics Inc. to develop companion diagnostics for a pipeline of drugs in the field of synthetic lethality.
Eli Lilly and Co. has established a multiyear collaboration with Kumquat Biosciences Inc. for the discovery, development and commercialization of new small molecules for stimulating tumor-specific immune responses. Kumquat will receive $70 million up front, including an equity investment, and is eligible for more than $2 billion in potential milestone payments plus royalties on any marketed products.
Minovia Therapeutics Ltd. will collaborate with Astellas Pharma Inc. to research, develop and commercialize cell therapy programs for treating diseases brought on by mitochondrial dysfunction. The candidates will come from Astellas’ genetically engineered, induced pluripotent stem cells. Haifa, Israel-based Minovia will receive $20 million in cash up front.