The acquisition of Quethera accelerates Astellas Pharma’s entry into the ophthalmic gene therapy space, the firm says. Japanese drugmaker Astellas has bought Cambridge, UK-based preclinical biotech for as much as £85 million (US$110 million) and will take over development of its lead candidate, a proposed gene therapy for the treatment of refractory glaucoma through an intraocular pressure (IOP)-independent mechanism. “This acquisition demonstrates Astellas’ commitment to proactively incorporate state-of-the-art scientific and technological advances and turn them into value for patients,” a…