AbbVie boosts IBD prospects with $250M Celsius acquisition

AbbVie, a well-known pharmaceutical company, is continuing its aggressive expansion into immunology drugs with a new acquisition. On Thursday, AbbVie announced it would spend $250 million to acquire Celsius Therapeutics, a biotechnology company that has been developing a novel antibody targeting inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This deal is part of a broader strategy by AbbVie to enhance its portfolio of inflammatory drugs. Just two weeks ago, AbbVie licensed an antibody from FutureGen Biopharmaceutical, and earlier in March, it revealed plans to acquire Landos Biopharma.

Celsius Therapeutics, established in 2018, has made significant strides in immunology with its lead program named CEL383. This program focuses on a protein-coding gene called TREM1. Inhibiting TREM1 can potentially reduce the inflammatory response that contributes to conditions such as IBD. The company recently completed a Phase 1 study for CEL383, showing promising preliminary results. According to Kori Wallace, AbbVie's global head of immunology clinical development, the potential of TREM1 as a key factor in inflammation and pathology in IBD and similar diseases makes CEL383 a promising candidate for further development. AbbVie aims to advance CEL383 with the goal of helping more IBD patients achieve remission.

Before the acquisition, Celsius had formed an agreement with Johnson & Johnson to identify predictive biomarkers in a clinical trial involving patients with ulcerative colitis. Despite raising $65 million in its Series A funding round, Celsius was exploring additional targets for its IBD treatment approach but had not disclosed any further programs in its pipeline at the time of the acquisition announcement. Tariq Kassum, CEO of Celsius, expressed optimism about the future development of CEL383 under AbbVie's guidance, hoping it would offer a new treatment avenue for IBD.

The acquisition of Celsius is part of a larger trend in the pharmaceutical industry, where immunology drugmakers are gaining significant investor interest. AbbVie is following a path already taken by other major pharmaceutical companies. For instance, Roche recently acquired a Roivant subsidiary for $7.1 billion, and Takeda licensed a psoriasis treatment from Nimbus Therapeutics for $4 billion. These moves highlight the growing importance of immunology in both private and public markets.

Startups like Mirador Therapeutics and Santa Ana Bio have attracted substantial private investments, showcasing the strong interest in the sector. Additionally, Alumis, a biotech company focused on developing treatments for conditions such as lupus and plaque psoriasis, is set to go public this week. This follows a trend of significant initial public offerings (IPOs) involving biotechs with clinical-stage drugs for autoimmune disorders. Earlier in the year, companies like Acelyrin and Apogee Therapeutics made notable IPOs, further demonstrating the robust investor interest in the immunology drug space.

Overall, AbbVie's acquisition of Celsius Therapeutics underscores its commitment to expanding its portfolio in the competitive and fast-growing field of immunology. This strategic move aims to bring innovative treatments to market, addressing the unmet needs of patients with inflammatory conditions like IBD.