Merck Boosts Autoimmune Portfolio With New Deal
The pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) is back with a new deal, acquiring Pandion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: PAND) for $1.85 billion, or $60 per share in cash, a 134% premium to the prior day’s closing price. Pandion Therapeutics is developing novel therapeutics designed to address the unmet needs of patients living with autoimmune diseases. Pandion’s TALON (Therapeutic Autoimmune reguLatOry proteiN) drug design and discovery platform enable the company to create a pipeline of product candidates using immunomodulatory effector modules. In 2020, the company generated approximately $10.5 million in revenue, but reported a loss in EBITDA of approximately $43.2 million. ... Read More »
MindMed Acquires HealthMode
MindMed (OTCQB: MMEDF), a New York City-based biotechnology company, is expanding its platform with a new deal. Last week, the company announced it is acquiring HealthMode, a digital medicine and therapeutics startup that uses artificial intelligence-enabled digital measurement to increase the precision and speed of clinical research and patient monitoring. MindMed will issue 8,250,836 subordinate voting shares at the Feb. 17, 2021 closing price of CAD 5.13, plus approx. CAD 300,000 in cash. Based on the conversion rate from February 18, 2021, the price comes out to approximately U.S. $33.67 million. The acquisition of Healthmode is expected to close by the end of February 2021. MindMed is... Read More »
Humacyte Goes Public Via SPAC
Humacyte, Inc. announced last week it is merging with Alpha Healthcare Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: AHAC), a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). Shareholders of Humacyte will get an aggregate of 80 million shares of AHAC’s common stock, or roughly $800 million. Humacyte is a clinical-stage biotechnology platform company developing universally implantable bioengineered human tissue on a commercial scale. The company develops and manufactures acellular tissues to treat a wide range of diseases, injuries and chronic conditions. Humacyte’s initial opportunity, a portfolio of human acellular vessels (HAVs), is currently in late-stage clinical trials targeting multiple vascular... Read More »
Horizon Therapeutics Acquires Viela Bio
Horizon Therapeutics plc (NASDAQ: HZNP) has been a major player in the healthcare M&A market for the last few years. According to search results in our Healthcare Deal Database, the company last reported a deal in April 2020, acquiring Curzion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a San Diego-based biotechnology firm developing treatments for rare fibrotic diseases, for a modest $45 million. However, Horizon Therapeutics is back with a new deal, buying Viela Bio, Inc. in a $3.05 billion deal. Viela Bio is a biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel treatments for autoimmune and severe inflammatory diseases. The company has a substantial pipeline... Read More »
