Finance, Grants, Deals

Nestle Health Science is to take full ownership of the food allergy company Aimmune Therapeutics Inc in an all-cash transaction that values the company at $2.6 billion. Nestle already owns 25.6% of Aimmune and will acquire the remaining equity for $34.50 per share, representing a 174% premium to the company’s closing share price on Nasdaq on 28 August.

Johnson & Johnson Inc is to significantly expand its presence in drugs for autoimmune diseases with the acquisition of Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc in an all cash transaction valued at approximately $6.5 billion. Momenta’s lead product, nipocalimab, is in Phase 3 for the treatment of a rare autoimmune disorder called warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia.

Germany-based CureVac NV, which is developing a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine against Covid-19, has closed its initial public offering of shares on the US Nasdaq market, raising a gross $245.3 million, including the full exercise of the underwriters’ share options. The stock was priced at $16 per share.

Sanofi SA is to acquire Principia Biopharma Inc of the US and its pipeline of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors in a deal valued at approximately $3.36 billion. The two companies have been collaborating since 2017 and the merger is expected to trigger increased investment across the BTK inhibitor class of molecules.

Bayer AG has taken steps to expand its portfolio of medicines for gynaecological diseases with the acquisition of UK-based KaNDy Therapeutics Plc and its non-hormonal compound, NT-814, for the treatment of the symptoms of menopause. The acquisition complements Bayer’s existing portfolio of birth control treatments, as well as therapies for management of the menopause.

The Swedish specialty pharmaceutical company Calliditas Therapeutics AB has reached an agreement to acquire a controlling 62.7% interest in Genkyotex SA of France whose lead product candidate, setanaxib, is in clinical development for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), a fibrotic orphan disease. The deal is the first step towards a full acquisition of the company whose total consideration is approximately €32 million, not including potential milestones of up to €55 million for regulatory approvals of setanaxib. 

Germany-based CureVac BV, which is developing a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine against Covid-19, has made an initial public offering of its shares on the US Nasdaq market raising approximately $213.3 million. The offering is expected to close on 18 August.

It consists of 13.3 million common shares at a price of $16 per share Underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1.9 million shares at the offer price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The shares were scheduled to start trading on 14 August.

The European Commission has concluded an advance purchase agreement with AstraZeneca Plc for the supply of up to 400 million doses of a Covid-19 vaccine which it is developing with the University of Oxford. Announced on 14 August, the agreement covers the initial purchase of 300 million doses, with an option for an additional 100 million. The price was not disclosed. However in a separate announcement, AstraZeneca said it would supply the vaccine “in an eqitable manner at no profit during the pandemic.”

A syndicate led by Cowen Healthcare Investments has raised $60.8 million for the late-stage development of an antifungal agent that has been designed to treat life-threatening invasive fungal infections. The candidate drug, olorofim, has been developed by F2G Ltd, a company co-located in the UK and Austria. It is in a Phase 2b study and has received a breakthrough therapy designation from the US Food and Drug Administration.

Immunic Inc, which is co-located in the US and Germany, has raised gross proceeds of $103.5 million to support development of its pipeline of small molecule immunology drugs, the most advanced of which is being investigated for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The underwritten public offering of 5.75 million shares was priced at $18 per share, a discount from its closing price on Nasdaq on 4 August of $19.43.