• By Deanna Kamienski, Beth Allan, Amanda Micklus, Maureen Riordan, and Steven Muntner
Derived from Strategic Transactions, a premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Tech Transfer Deals column provides a monthly update on technology transfer deals between companies and universities or other research institutions within the In Vitro Diagnostics, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals sectors. This month’s column covers deals announced August through September 2014.
Astellas allies with Cancer Research in pancreatic cancer
Instead of opting in on Phase II-ready PCSK9-targeted VERVE-102, Lilly will buy its partner for up to $1.3bn. Analysts call the deal a bargain for Lilly, but fair to Verve.
After in-licensing a cardiovascular candidate last year, AstraZeneca has signed a strategic drug discovery alliance, which could generate billions of dollars in payments to the Chinese firm.
Deal Snapshot: Including its internal efforts with bimagrumab, Lilly has been seeking a muscle-sparing therapy to complement GLP-1 obesity drugs, such as Zepbound.
Highlights from day one of the BIO convention include advice for firms hoping to go public, a call for companies to push the US Congress on rare disease priority review vouchers, and updates on next-generation gene therapies.
With two deaths in non-ambulatory DMD patients, Sarepta is attempting damage control and will ask the US FDA to advise, setting up a possible confrontation with CBER director Prasad.
