AstraZeneca Goes All In On AL Amyloidosis With Caelum Acquisition

Deal Could Be Worth Up To $500m

AstraZeneca’s recently-acquired Alexion unit is paying $150m upfront to buy the remainder of Caelum Biosciences and its late-stage therapy for light chain  amyloidosis, a rare disease in which misfolded amyloid proteins build up in organs throughout the body, including the heart and kidneys.

Alexion AZ

AstraZeneca PLC’s Alexion unit has exercised an option to acquire the remaining equity in Caelum Biosciences, Inc. and get control of a promising late-stage candidate for the treatment of light chain (AL) amyloidosis, a rare, tough-to-treat protein misfolding disorder.

More from Deals

Sumitomo Offloads Asia Pharma Ops To Marubeni For $480m

 
• By 

The latest in a long line of restructuring measures will see Sumitomo Pharma making a stepped sale of its pharma operations in Asia to major Japanese trading house Marubeni.

Asia Deal Watch: Dr. Reddy’s Gets Regional Rights To Pair Of Bio-Thera Biosimilars

 

Plus deals involving GV20/Mitsubishi Tanabe, Kaken/Alumis, AstraZeneca/Alteogen and deal terminations involving Clover/Gavi Alliance and Rhythm/RareStone.

Novo Adds Lexicon’s Novel Obesity Drug To Deal Flurry

 

The obesity market leader has unveiled its second deal in days, paying $75m upfront for a potential first-in-class ACSL5 inhibitor, while the deal also provides some respite for Lexicon.

Deal Watch: Eyenovia Looks At New Direction In Proposed Merger With Betaliq

 
• By 

Plus deals involving Relmada/Trigone, Alvotech/Xbrane, OPKO Health/Entera, iOncologi/TargImmune and more.

More from Business

Cerevance To Focus On Parkinson’s Adjunctive Therapy After Phase II Miss

 
• By 

After failing a Phase II monotherapy study in early Parkinson’s, Cerevance will focus on adjunctive therapy without abandoning the monotherapy concept.

Baxdrostat, AstraZeneca’s Next Big CVRM Bet

 
• By 

The firm has lofty ambitions for the aldosterone synthase inhibitor to treat hypertension and kidney disease.

Stock Watch: How Tariff Threat Might Boost Pharma Q1

 
• By 

Supply chain disruption fears at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic caused drug over-ordering. Imminent tariffs on drugs may have had a similar effect on pharma sales in Q1 earnings season.