AstraZeneca, the Anglo-Swedish multinational biopharmaceutical company, has announced the acquisition of the biotechnology company ExoBiotec, cutting-edge biotechnology company in cell therapies, for an amount up to 1 billion dollarsEsoBiotec's Engineered NanoBody Lentiviral (ENaBL) platform is capable of genetically modify immune cells enabling them to attack tumors directly inside the body and enabling transformative cell therapy treatments in a few minutes, instead of the current process which It takes weeks, AstraZeneca said.
AstraZeneca will acquire all outstanding shares of EsoBiotec for a cash and debt-free sum, which includes a Initial payment of 425 million of dollars at the closing of the deal and up to 575 million dollars of contingent consideration based on development and regulatory milestones. The transaction is expected to close in second quarter of 2025 and has no impact on AstraZeneca's 2025 financial guidance, the company said.
In London, the Astrazeneca title lost more than 1% to 11.860 pounds on a broad market just above par.
“We are excited about the acquisition of EsoBiotec and the opportunity to rapidly advance their promising in vivo platform,” said Susan Galbraith, Executive Vice President, Haematology Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca. “We believe it has the potential to transform cell therapy and will enable us to scale these innovative treatments so that many more patients around the world can access them. EsoBiotec will accelerate and expand the impact of our recent investments and marks an important step forward in realizing our ambition to unlock the full potential of cell therapy.”
AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, GSK negotiate Medicare drug prices in US
Meanwhile, AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk and GSK unit GlaxoSmithKline Intellectual Property Development, along with other drugmakers, have signed agreements with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Neglthe United States for the second round of negotiations on drug prices. The Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program has selected 15 drugs, including treatment for the leukemia lymphocytic Calquence by AstraZeneca, the drugs for the diabetes , weight loss Novo Nordisk's Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy and GSK's Breo Ellipta and Trelegy Ellipta treatments for pulmonary disease chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, they said in a statement Friday. Before issuing a formal fair maximum price offer to drug companies by June 1, CMS will gather input through meetings with companies, patients and healthcare professionals. Companies will have 30 days to respond and accept or provide a counteroffer. If negotiations fail, CMS may hold up to two additional meetings, with the process concluding on Nov. 1.
