With two approved radioligand therapies on its commercial roster and a recent plan to boost its manufacturing for radiotherapeutics, Novartis AG tapped Ratio Therapeutics Inc. in a potential $745 million collaboration aimed at developing a somatostatin receptor 2 radiotherapeutic for cancer.
Biosion Inc. is getting more than $40 million in cash up front from Aclaris Therapeutics Inc. for the rights to develop two antibodies. The regulatory and sales milestones could also bring Biosion another $900 million. The two assets are BSI-045B, a high affinity and high potency anti-TSLP monoclonal antibody, and BSI-502, a bispecific antibody directed against TSLP and IL4R.
Keymed Biosciences Co. Ltd. is out-licensing global rights, excluding China, for its bispecific antibody, CM-336, to Platina Medicines Ltd. in a deal worth up to $626 million plus sales royalties.
Biopharma deal activity in October totaled $22.31 billion, marking a 72% jump from $13.01 billion in September. Year-to-date deal values have decreased by 2%, from $175.29 billion during the first 10 months of 2023 to $171.77 billion in the same period this year, positioning 2024 as the second-highest year on record, according to BioWorld.
Investors and corporates in health care are optimistic going into 2025 as they believe that capital constraints in the sector are finally easing, according to a report by global investment bank Jefferies. The return of the IPO market and increased M&A activity contributed to an uptick in confidence in the sector.
Med-tech deal values hit their lowest point of 2024 in October, reaching just $15.9 million – a sharp drop from the $356.79 million recorded in September.
Vitalli Bio Inc. terminated a potential $477 million licensing deal for autoimmune disease drug, DWP-213388, signed a year ago with Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., although Vitalli still retains option rights to two more dual inhibitor candidates that could fetch up to $941 million.
Merck & Co. Inc. has in-licensed Lanova Medicines Ltd.’s PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody LM-299 in a deal worth up to $2.7 billion in a move to bolster its Keytruda (pembrolizumab) fortress. Under terms of the deal, Merck (known as MSD outside the U.S.) gains an exclusive global license to develop, manufacture and commercialize LM-299 in exchange for an up-front payment of $588 million. Shanghai-based Lanova is eligible to receive up to $2.7 billion in milestone payments associated with the technology transfer, development, regulatory approval and commercialization of LM-299 across multiple indications.
Celltrion Inc. said it would acquire Iqone Healthcare Switzerland SA in the fourth quarter of 2024 for about ₩30 billion (US$21.34 million) to expand its European business. “This move represents a strategic shift in our growth strategy,” Taehun Ha, Celltrion vice president and Europe head, said in a statement Nov. 15.
While women’s health has slid under the research radar for decades, large biopharma companies and venture capital firms are beginning to take notice of the untapped market potential. More companies are wandering into the space and exploring avenues of science that were largely ignored for years. A BioWorld analysis of biopharma companies working on women’s health solutions found that while many efforts to improve the well-being of women exist, the proportion of funding and partnering for this emerging sector of medicine still represents only a small slice of the industry’s overall activity.
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