Neurocrine Biosciences Inc.’s chief business development and strategy officer, Kyle Gano, said “there was really no playbook” for the deal in which his firm is paying Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. $120 million up front for an exclusive license to seven programs, including three clinical-stage assets targeting the notoriously difficult indications of schizophrenia and treatment-resistant depression (TRD), as well as depression-related anhedonia.
HONG KONG – Korea’s Celltrion Inc. aims to wrap up its first major M&A deal with Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical Inc. by the end of 2020, pending approvals.
LONDON - The EU has secured a supply of the most advanced COVID-19 vaccine in development, in a deal with Astrazeneca plc for up to 400 million doses of AZD-1222, with deliveries starting by the end of 2020.
Selecta Biosciences Inc., of Watertown, Mass., and Stockholm’s Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (Sobi) signed a licensing agreement for SEL-212, which is designed to control serum uric acid, reduce immunogenicity and allow for repeated monthly dosing when treating chronic refractory gout.
As the company gears up for two NDA filings this year, Reata Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s $350 million deal with funds managed by Blackstone Life Sciences provides cash runway through the end of 2023.
In a bid to expand its presence in the cardiometabolic disease space and strengthen its core business in diabetes and obesity, Novo Nordisk A/S is buying Corvidia Therapeutics Inc., of Waltham, Mass., for $2.1 billion, which includes a $725 million up-front payment.
DUBLIN – Shares in Genmab A/S gained 5% during trading on Nasdaq June 10 on news of an oncology alliance with Abbvie Inc., in which it is banking $750 million up front and up to $3.15 billion in development, regulatory and commercial milestones for up to seven next-generation antibody-based therapeutics.
BEIJING – Suzhou, China-based Innovent Biologics Inc. is known in China as one of the first drugmakers to launch a PD-1 monoclonal antibody. Now, the company is moving to expand its product portfolio and enhance efforts in developing bispecific antibodies and cell therapies in a potential multibillion-dollar deal with pharma giant Roche Holding AG.
LONDON – Evox Therapeutics Ltd. sealed a $1.2 billion collaboration with Eli Lilly and Co. to apply its exosome technology to the doubly difficult task of systemically delivering RNA interference and antisense oligonucleotide drugs, to reach central nervous system targets.
HONG KONG – Two Chinese biotech companies, Hutchison China Meditech Ltd. (Chi-Med) and Beigene Ltd., are teaming up to evaluate their therapies as combination treatments for several cancers and in different key markets.