GSK plc (NSE: GSK) on Wednesday agreed to acquire 35Pharma Inc. for $950 million.
35Pharma is a Canada-based, private, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of novel protein-based therapeutics.
The acquisition includes HS235, an investigational medicine that has completed phase 1 healthy volunteer clinical trials with studies to start imminently in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and pulmonary hypertension due to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (PH-HFpEF).
PH is marked by high blood pressure in the lungs. Early symptoms are breathlessness, fatigue, and chest pain, leading to heart failure as the disease progresses.
It affects approximately 82 million people worldwide across multiple disease forms.
Market Outlook and Therapeutic Differentiation
By 2032, the global market for PH therapies is forecast to reach $18 billion, with activin signalling inhibitors expected to account for 50%.
HS235 targets the activin receptor signalling pathway, a clinically validated therapeutic target in PAH.
HS235 is designed with enhanced selectivity, reducing binding to BMP9 and BMP10, ligands associated with adverse events such as bleeding and telangiectasia (broken blood vessels).
Tony Wood, Chief Scientific Officer, GSK, said: “HS235’s potential protective effects on vascular function, alongside potential benefits on fat-derived markers of metabolism and inflammation, also offer new development opportunities within our RI&I portfolio to achieve broader coverage across the metabolic, inflammatory, vascular and fibrotic drivers of multiple chronic diseases that affect the lung, liver and kidney.”
Licensing Deal With Frontier Biotechnologies
On Tuesday, GSK inked an exclusive licensing agreement with Frontier Biotechnologies Inc. for exclusive worldwide rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize two of Frontier Biotech’s Small Interfering RNA (siRNA) pipeline products, one of which is currently at Investigational New Drug (IND) stage and the other is a preclinical candidate.
Frontier Biotechnologies will receive $40 million upfront and up to $963 million in milestone payments.
Frontier Biotech will be responsible for the initial advancement of the two investigational assets, taking one asset through the Phase 1 trial in China, and completing IND-enabling activities with the other.
GSK will be responsible for all subsequent global clinical development, regulatory submissions, and commercialization activities.
$2.2B RAPT Therapeutics Takeover
Earlier in January, GSK agreed to acquire RAPT Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:RAPT) for $58.00 per share, equivalent to an estimated aggregate equity value of $2.2 billion.
The acquisition includes ozureprubart, a long-acting anti-immunoglobulin E (IgE) monoclonal antibody, currently in phase 2b clinical development for prophylactic protection against food allergens.
GSK Price Action: GSK shares were up 1.00% at $59.71 during premarket trading on Wednesday. The stock is approaching its 52-week high of $61.69, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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