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Incyte Hopes To Augment Immune/Inflammation Pipeline With Escient Deal

 
• By Joseph Haas

Incyte will pay $750m to acquire privately held Escient and its first-in-class oral antagonists of Mas-related G protein-coupled receptors X2 and X4.

Incyte looks to address coming patent cliff by buying Escient

Incyte Corporation sees potential in Escient Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s MRGPR X2 and X4 antagonists to augment ongoing programs in its pipeline and to begin generating revenue at about the same time that the biotech’s top-seller, Jakafi (ruxolitinib), is slated to lose US patent protection. That was a driving factor behind the Delaware-based firm’s decision to pay $750m for privately held Escient, which brings a pair of Phase II assets to Incyte’s existing inflammation and immune disease pipeline.

Key Takeaways

  • Incyte will pay $750m to acquire privately held Escient in an effort to boost its R&D pipeline ahead of Jakafi’s US patent expiration in 2028.

EP262, a first-in-class oral antagonist of Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor X2 (MRGPRX2), is the primary impetus for the deal, Incyte...

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