Surmodics Inc. has acquired Vetex Medical Ltd., a Galway, Ireland-based company focused on venous clot removal, for $39.9 million. The move gives Surmodics a second FDA-cleared mechanical thrombectomy device, Revene, to treat venous vasculature, adding to its Pounce arterial thrombus retrieval system. Founded in 2016, privately held Vetex’s sole product is the Revene thrombectomy catheter. The device received FDA clearance in December 2020 and CE mark approval in May for the mechanical declotting and controlled and selected infusion of physician-specified fluids, including thrombolytics – clot-busting drugs – in the peripheral vasculature.
LONDON – Following on from the $25 million up-front payment received on sealing their recent research collaboration, Mina Therapeutics Ltd. is now in line for a $15 million equity investment from Eli Lilly and Co. Inc.
Advaxis Inc.’s long journey is ending happily by way of a merger with Biosight Ltd. that leaves the new firm with $50 million to help advance aspacytarabine (BST-236), a prodrug of cytarabine for acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes.
KT Corp. took its first step into the digital therapies space by entering into an agreement with Neurosigma Inc. to develop electronic therapies to treat neurological and neuropsychological disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression and epilepsy. KT will support the design and development of Neurosigma’s next-generation versions of external trigeminal nerve stimulation (eTNS) products that incorporate artificial intelligence (AI), big data and cloud capabilities.
Alector Inc. Chief Operating Officer Shehnaaz Suliman said her company’s deal with Glaxosmithkline plc (GSK) – worth as much as $2.2 billion – “allows us to expand into indications that we have been quite thoughtful about doing, but in a more expeditious manner. This is really an opportune time to continue to explore the biology of these programs across multiple indications.”
Merck KGaA is partnering with Neuroloop GmbH, a subsidiary of B. Braun SE, to develop a neurostimulator device that can complement existing drug therapies for people with chronic inflammatory diseases. The collaboration aims to adapt Neuroloop’s neurostimulation platform to enable targeted treatment of chronic inflammatory ailments. The new bioelectronics program intends to open up new technologies and markets that are close to Merck’s electronics and health care business sectors.
PARIS – Aptargroup Inc. is negotiating to buy Voluntis SA in a move that would complement its existing digital solutions portfolio and expand services to address multiple conditions and chronic diseases. "By being part of Aptar, we will be able to pursue a common ambition aimed at providing a complete digital health platform combining connected devices and digital therapeutics," Pierre Leurent, CEO and co-founder of Voluntis, told BioWorld.
While the number of biopharma’s nonprofit deals and grants, as well as their values, have dropped by more than 20% compared with last year, almost 71% of the combined funds are targeting COVID-19 therapeutics, vaccines and other pandemic efforts.
Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH has begun a three-year collaboration with researchers at Australia’s WEHI, looking into a potentially powerful approach to targeted protein degradation also being studied by its German rival Merck KGaA.
Boston Scientific Corp. has exercised an option as part of a 2020 agreement to acquire Farapulse Inc. in full, folding the startup’s pulsed electric field ablation technology for the treatment of atrial fibrillation and other cardiac arrhythmias into its own electrophysiology portfolio. With a 27% stake in Farapulse already, it will pay about $295 million for the remainder.
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