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BioNTech Drops $800m To Acquire Bispecific Specialist Biotheus

 
• By Elizabeth Cairns

The German group is doubling down on the hot PD-(L)1 x VEGF-A bispecific space but will still have to contend with Summit and Akeso’s more advanced rival.

Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany-9. September 2020 Biontech building in Mainz with the sun shining and waving flags
• Source: Florian Imbusch / Shutterstock.com

After a year as licensee of Biotheus’s PD-L1 and VEGF-A-targeting bispecific BNT327, BioNTech has decided to buy the Chinese company outright, spending $800m upfront to do so. Though Biotheus has other clinical-stage products, notably an anti-PD-L1 x TGF-β bispecific, obtaining full global rights to BNT327 was clearly the main reason for BioNTech’s move.

Key Takeaways
  • BioNTech has bought Biotheus for $800m in cash and stock upfront, with a potential $150m in milestones.
  • The deal gives BioNTech global...

BNT327, also called PM8002, is one of the most advanced PD-(L)1 x VEGF-A bispecifics and was the centerpiece of BioNTech’s oncology strategy even before the acquisition....

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