The curtain is coming down on one of Europe’s longest-established biopharmas, with Novartis AG announcing it is to shut Morphosys AG’s facilities, following its 2024 acquisition of the one-time antibody pioneer for $2.9 billion. The closure of sites in the U.S. and Germany by the end of 2025 will affect 330 employees.
Sangamo Therapeutics Inc.’s stock sank sharply on the last day of 2025 as Pfizer Inc. handed back the rights to their collaborative gene therapy hemophilia A program. While it was another big loss to Sangamo, which had seen two other major deals fall through in the past two years, the company still has two large collaborations in development.
Sangamo Therapeutics Inc.’s second large, worldwide licensing deal for its capsid technology in the past five months is with Astellas Pharma Inc. The California-based company is getting $20 million up front and the chance to bring in up to $1.3 billion in fees and milestone payments in an agreement spanning five potential disease targets for gene therapies to treat neurological diseases.
Sangamo Therapeutics Inc.’s second large, worldwide licensing deal for its capsid technology in the past five months is with Astellas Pharma Inc. The California-based company is getting $20 million up front and the chance to bring in up to $1.3 billion in fees and milestone payments in an agreement spanning five potential disease targets for gene therapies to treat neurological diseases.
Its lead program might have hit a safety snag, but Bioage Labs Inc.’s longevity data platform caught the attention of Novartis AG, which agreed to pay $20 million up front in a collaboration to identify drug targets for aging-related diseases. Taking into account potential long-term research, development and commercial milestones, the agreement could bring in up to an additional $530 million.
Novartis AG lost its bid, at least for now, to delay generic competition to its blockbuster heart drug, Entresto (sacubitril, valsartan), on the basis of patent infringement.
PTC Therapeutics Inc. said a “highly competitive process with several parties involved” led to the deal centered on the firm’s Huntington’s disease program with Novartis AG, an arrangement that brings $1 billion up front along with as much as $1.9 billion in development, regulatory, and sales milestone rewards.
Rising from a $51 million series A round a year ago to a $1.1 billion acquisition, Kate Therapeutics Inc. has stepped under the umbrella of Novartis AG, which gains preclinical adeno-associated virus-based gene therapies for neuromuscular diseases.
A joint Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology and Novartis AG patent describes antiviral 1,3-di-oxo-indene compounds reported to be useful for the treatment of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, hepatitis A, viral infection, myocarditis, myositis and pancreatitis, among others.
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.
