AstraZeneca Makes Good On Vow To Build CV Pipeline With AlphaCore Buy

AstraZeneca’s biologics unit MedImmune acquired AlphaCore Pharma, the developer of an early-stage asset with a novel mechanism for removing cholesterol from the body and raising “good” HDL cholesterol.

AstraZeneca PLC announced its third cardiovascular deal in two weeks April 3, following through on CEO Pascal Soriot’s promise to rebuild the company’s cardiovascular pipeline. The latest deal, in which AstraZeneca’s biologics unit MedImmune LLC acquired private biotech AlphaCore Pharma LLC for an undisclosed sum, is another early-stage play for the big pharma.

With AlphaCore, AstraZeneca gains ACP-501, a recombinant human lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) enzyme that is believed to play a major role...