Deal-Making Archives - Page 46 of 59 - BioProcess InternationalBioProcess International

Samsung Bio to make $1bn worth of CytoDyn’s HIV antibody

CytoDyn has contracted Samsung BioLogics to produce the drug substance for its candidate leronlimab and says it will need at least two CMOs once the HIV inhibitor is approved. CytoDyn’s lead candidate leronlimab (PRO 140) has demonstrated antiviral activity and shown to significantly reduce viral burden in people infected with HIV in Phase II clinical trials. The fully humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody blocks the predominant HIV (R5) subtype entry into T-cells by masking the required co-receptor, CCR5. The firm has…

AZ inks $6.9bn ADC deal with Daiichi Sankyo

by Gareth Macdonald

AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo will co-develop cancer antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) DS-8201 in a deal worth up to $6.9 billion. AstraZeneca will pay $1.35 billion (€1.2 billion) upfront for rights to DS-8201 (trastuzumab deruxtecan). The UK firm will pay a further $5.5 billion if the drug achieves regulatory and sales targets. Under the agreement, Daiichi will manufacture DS-8201. AstraZeneca will help develop and sell the drug worldwide, except in Japan where Daiichi has exclusive rights. Spokesman Rob Skelding told us AstraZeneca’s…

Lonza adds to cell line arsenal with piggyBac from Transposagen

by Dan Stanton

CDMO Lonza will use the non-viral, gene delivery piggyBac system to improve the titer of difficult-to-express proteins after acquiring the IP rights from Transposagen. The deal brings contract development and manufacturing organization Lonza the transposon-based technology. The platform uses an engineered hyperactive piggyBac transposase enzyme to insert expression vector cargos into the host cell genome and preferentially targets stable regions of the genome associated with highly expressed genes. “We acquired the IP rights to the piggyBac technology for bioprocessing,” Sarah…

Pfizer takes 15% stake in gene therapy firm Vivet

by BPI Staff

The deal, worth a potential $636 million, will help accelerate Pfizer’s adeno-associated virus (AAV) directed gene therapy portfolio, the firm says. Emerging French biotech firm Vivet Therapeutics has a gene therapy pipeline based on its adeno-associated virus (AAV) technologies with lead candidate VTX-801 preparing to enter the clinic as a potential treatment for Wilson disease. The firm will now benefit from support from Pfizer after the Big Pharma firm paid around €45 million ($51 million) to acquire a 15% equity…

Celgene deal: ‘Tremendous excitement’ at BMS despite shareholder jitters

by Dan Stanton

After assessing over 70 opportunities, Bristol-Myers Squibb insists the proposed $74 billion acquisition of Celgene is the ‘right and best’ option for the firm. Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) announced in January it had entered into an agreement to buy Celgene for $74 billion (€65 billion) in what will be the largest megamerger ever in the biopharma space. The deal has been undermined by investor groups, which have described the proposed acquisition as “poorly conceived and ill-advised.” But speaking at the Cowen…

Thermo Fisher going viral in $1.7bn Brammer Bio buy

by Dan Stanton

Thermo Fisher has broadened its CDMO interest by agreeing to acquire viral vector firm Brammer Bio. The deal brings Brammer access to a broad portfolio of gene therapy technologies and consumables. This morning bioprocess giant Thermo Fisher made good on the recent rumors of a major acquisition by agreeing to buy contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Brammer Bio for $1.7 billion (€1.5 billion) in cash from Ampersand Capital Partners. Formed through the merger of Brammer Biopharmaceuticals and Florida Biologix…

Access to smart money a key life science growth driver, Dynamk

by Dan Stanton

Bioprocess executives moving to the financial sector shows a strong desire for continued investment in the life sciences space, says Daniella Kranjac from VC firm Dynamk. Reinhard Vogt joined venture capital (VC) firm Dynamk Capital as a new general partner and managing director earlier this year, following an illustrious career in bioprocessing. Bioprocess Insider recently spoke with Vogt about major investment opportunities, but in this follow-up Q&A, Daniella Kranjac, co-founder and managing partner at Dynamk, explains how his expertise strengthens…

New clients and Halozyme drive robust Q3 for Avid

by Dan Stanton

Avid Bioservices has attributed its strong third quarter to the diversification of its customer base and the return of demand from its largest customer Halozyme. When Avid Bioservice became a pure contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) in early 2018, it stated the expansion and diversification of its customer base as one of its near-term strategic objectives. A year on and Avid has reported a robust third quarter fiscal year 2019 driven by an increase in the number of manufacturing…

Sartorius Novasep team on membrane chromatography

by BPI Staff

Sartorius Stedim Biotech will combine its single-use technology with Novasep’s continuous chromatography BioSC platform to develop a membrane chromatography system. The deal sees the two vendors team up to aid biomanufacturing intensification by developing new technologies in the downstream based on membrane chromatography. “The systems expertise and established BioSC platform at Novasep, and the single-use expertise and technology coming from SSB [Sartorius Stedim Biotech] will both be key factors in the success of this collaboration,” Kathryn Schnorf, head of Product…

CDMO Fujifilm buys Danish plant from Biogen for $890m

by Dan Stanton

Biogen has sold a 90,000 L mammalian cell culture to Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies. The deal propels the CDMO into the top 10 of biomanufacturers based on tank capacity. The manufacturing plant in Hillerød, Denmark will be taken over by contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, with all the approximately 800 staff members being retained, in the $890 million (€790 million). “The plan is for Fujifilm to use the Hillerød site to produce commercial products for Biogen as well…