J&J Seeks Command Position In FcRn Space With Momenta Buyout

J&J will pay about $6.5bn to acquire Momenta and its potential “pipeline in a pathway” with nipocalimab. Analysts expect this deal may lead to further M&A activity in the anti-FcRn space.

Johnson_and_Johnson
J&J will pay $6.5bn to buy out Momenta and its anti-FcRn candidate

Johnson & Johnson is looking to both take a lead position in a burgeoning area of the autoimmune therapy space and bolster its presence in the Boston-area biotech hub with its planned $6.5bn acquisition of Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Driving the deal announced 19 August is Momenta’s nipocalimab, a fully-human monoclonal antibody targeting neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn), which is in Phase II in multiple autoantibody-driven diseases.

It’s a remarkable turnaround for Momenta, which reduced its workforce in 2018 to de-emphasize biosimilar development and focus instead on...

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