Centessa Pharmaceuticals’ cleminorexton is part of the orexin agonist drug class, which could introduce a new approach to the treatment of narcolepsy and other sleep disorders. Acquiring Centessa brings Eli Lilly into a group of clinical-stage orexin agonist drug developers that includes Takeda Pharmaceutical, Alkermes, and Eisai.
Gilead Sciences is acquiring Ouro Medicines, a startup developing T cell engagers for a range of autoimmune diseases. Separately, Gilead is negotiating a deal with Galapagos to share in the development and potential commercialization of the Ouro drug.
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Novartis already markets the PI3Kα inhibitor Piqray for breast cancer, but acquiring a Synnovation Therapeutics subsidiary brings an early clinical program that the pharma company claims could be best in the class of next-generation therapies for the target. Competitors include Eli Lilly, Relay Therapeutics, and OnKure Therapeutics.
Waiv, formerly the diagnostics division of AI biotech Owkin, developed AI-enabled testing technologies that found use in clinical settings and in cancer drug research. Spinning out as an independent company enables Waiv to pursue its own growth strategy, co-founder and CEO Meriem Sefta said.
Day One Biopharmaceuticals is Servier’s biggest acquisition yet, topping the $2.4 billion it paid to buy Shire’s cancer business in 2018. Day One markets Ojemda, approved for treating pediatric low-grade glioma, the most common type of brain cancer in children.
Boehringer Ingelheim receives rights to oral small molecules from Sitryx with potential applications in multiple autoimmune disorders. Depending on the progress of Boehringer’s research, Sitryx could receive more than $500 million.
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Slate Medicines’ antibody drug is designed to block PACAP, a protein associated with migraines. The Phase 1-ready asset was licensed from China-based DartsBio Pharmaceuticals.
Korsana Biosciences’ preclinical Alzheimer’s disease drug comes from a platform technology that enables antibodies to cross the blood-brain barrier. Roche and AbbVie have clinical-stage drugs taking a similar approach to Alzheimer’s.
Orna Therapeutics brings Eli Lilly an in vivo cell therapy ready for Phase 1 testing as a potential treatment for autoimmune diseases. Lilly is now the latest pharma company to use M&A to enter this growing field, following deals made in the past year by AstraZeneca, AbbVie, Gilead Sciences, and Bristol Myers Squibb.
Across all industries, the total number of companies on track to go public could make this week the most active for IPOs since 2021. Despite the partial government shutdown, there are paths biotechs can pursue to the public markets.
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AstraZeneca’s deal with CSPC Pharmaceutical Group includes a Phase 1-ready obesity drug that hits the same targets as Eli Lilly’s obesity drug Zepbound, but with monthly dosing. The new collaboration builds on an existing drug R&D relationship between the two companies.
Fortitude Biomedicines is developing antibody drug conjugates that use targeted protein degraders as their therapeutic payloads. The startup joins a group of degrader ADC (or DAC) developers that includes Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer.
The contract research organization consolidation trend continues with Worldwide Clinical Trials striking a deal for Catalyst Clinical Research, which has particular expertise in oncology. Worldwide is a portfolio company of Kohlberg, a private equity firm.
Bristol Myers Squibb is paying $50 million to begin a collaboration with Janux Therapeutics, a company that develops T cell engagers that activate specifically at the site of the tumor. It’s the second big pharma alliance for Janux, which has been working with Merck.
Pfizer’s stake in ViiV Healthcare will be taken over by Shiongi, another minority shareholder in the HIV medicines company. GSK remains remain the majority shareholder in ViiV, which the pharmaceutical giant formed in partnership with Pfizer in 2009.