Industry Overview
In the first quarter of 2010, antibody-related transactions included German Merck’s KGaA acquisition of Millipore, one of the largest research tool providers including antibody-based reagents, for about € 5 billion. Other transactions such as Abbott’s acquisition of Facet Biotech or Cephalon’s move to acquire Ception Therapeutics were in part motivated by mid-stage therapeutic antibody candidates developed by the acquired target companies.
Significant licensing deals included two alliances in the area of inflammatory diseases between Eli Lilly and Incyte Corp. and AstraZeneca and Rigel Pharmaceuticals. Both deals included mid-stage clinical compounds to treat inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and featured significant double-digit million euro upfront payments for the respective biotech partner.
Looking at product-related newsflow, the FDA approved Actemra®, an IL-6 receptor-blocking rheumatoid arthritis treatment, in the USA. Another significant event in the RA market was Roche’s and Biogen Idec’s decision to suspend development of Ocrelizumab® for use in arthritis after an independent monitoring board said safety risks outweigh benefits observed in patients. Danish antibody company Genmab publicized its results with Zalutumumab®, an antibody targeting epidermal growth factor receptor, which unfortunately failed to reach the primary endpoint in a phase III trial in head and neck cancer.